Skip to main content

A Learner's Experiment in Social Conformity

Currently, we are studying 'Stargirl' by Jerry Spinelli and exploring the ideas of tolerance, individuality, prejudice, and conformity. The driving question behind this unit is, "Do you Dare to be Yourself?" with the sub-question, "Do you Dare to Let Others be Themselves?". One of the assessments is an independent research project exploring the themes mentioned above, but of a topic and with a research question of each learner's own choosing.

Stanford Prison Experiment, 1971
One of my learners has been exploring the idea of conformity and has been researching the Stanford Prison Experiment, the Milgram Experiment and the Asch Experiment. He had already written the draft of his report but we'd spent some time discussing his desire to conduct an experiment of his own along the lines of the Asch Experiment. He wanted to know if his peers would conform, even when they clearly know that everyone else is wrong.

Today, as our lesson began, he informed me of his plans. His needs often have to be addressed as and when he has them. Fortunately, I was able to set the class off and we mangaged to discuss his ideas. He had one question that he wanted the majority of the class to purposefully get wrong - whilst two members of the class were to be unaware of the 'experiment', to see what they would do. Very quickly, I whipped up a plan that would allow his expeirment to take place.

First, I created a short Google Presentation 'test'. We decided to add in two 'dummy' questions before the 'experiment' question, to try to make is seem more authentic. I also decided that it should be set up as a test to measure how quickly the class can process information. The questions were multiple choice with three options, A, B and C and I stuck up a big A, B and C at different areas of my room for them to move to to show their answers. The first question asked who their English teacher is, with options including me, another teacher and a learner. The second question asked who their Form teacher is, with the correct answer, another teacher and another learner. The final, 'experimental' question asked who the Principal is, with the answers being the actual principal, George Clooney and President Obama.
Asch Experiment, 1951

Next, I sent off the two learners chosen to be 'unaware' to the staff room (the furthest room away from our classroom) to find a support teacher (who I hoped was not going to be there), telling them she had said she wanted to be with us to take part in something happening later in the lesson, but might have forgotten. Once they left, I quickly explained the experiment to the remaining members of the class, who decided to all go to President Obama for the 'correct' answer to the final, 'experimental' question.

The class then settled back into their work, when a learner, who we had forgotten had been at the nurse, appeared back in the room. He became a third 'unaware' to add to the mix. Minutes later, the two envoys returned, informing me they had searched high and low for the support teacher, had found her, and she was on her way! Seconds later, she appeared at the door apologising profusely for having forgotten we had arranged for her to be in the lesson! I managed to take her aside and explain the situation (she was aware of the learner's research and had been involved in discussions about his experiment) and she decided to stay - which added more authenticity to the situation.

Learners continued with their writing and when the time for that portion of the lesson was up, I gathered them into the middle of the room to explain the test that the support teacher and I wanted to perform on them. I explained that they were to go to the letter on the wall of the answer they considered correct as quickly and sensibly as possible. With a laptop set up to record the 'experiment', we started.

The three questions were shown successively, in the same order outlined above. And guess what - all THREE of the 'unaware' students followed the majority to the incorrect answer that President Obama is our school Principal! It was incredible. They said they just went along with the crowd, without really reading the question properly or thinking about it properly, confirming just how easily we conform to the majority viewpoint.  It was brilliant and I admit that I was a little shocked by just how easily they followed along. After a pause they did look twice and then moved, but their initial response was to go with the crowd.

I am so proud of this learner's progress, his thinking that has gone into this research, and his desire to put into practise his research. Once he has included his own experiment alongside the other research, I am looking forward to reading the final draft of his report which opens:

"Were things like the holocaust committed by monsters who eat golden foiled babies for dinner, or were they committed by 'normal' people, the kind of people who play ball with the children and the dog, or go to the theatre to enjoy a school performance, the kind of person who would help an old lady cross the road? These experiments show that, under the right conditions, people can do horrible and illogical things."
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

All comments gratefully received - thanks for taking the time to read :)
Anonymous comments and spam will be removed.

Past Thoughts

CONNECTION

We had our kick-off meeting last week on Tuesday 5 February 2013. I was able to connect using Blackboard Collaborate , something I had not used before, but unfortunately had to leave as I was at school. However, with it being Chinese New Year I have had an extended weekend, so was able to catch up and watch the full recorded version. I have also had a cold so have not felt up to tackling the mountain of marking, but have caught up on my reading for the next meeting, namely Chapters 1-3 of the book, ' Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds '; my Tweets about the most interesting salient points for me personally, can be found under @MrsHollyEnglish under #flatclass. Having reached the end of Chapter 3, I have come across my first 3 of the 15 Flat Classroom Challenges. Having taken part in the survey assessing my current connectivity, I feel confident that I am currently in a good position - I already have established a sound PLN that I build on when I can and have added s...
57 comments
Read more

Infographics - good and bad

This week in my MEd, we are exploring the heady world of infographics with the objective of learning how visual representations of data can enhance and distort data. The aim is for us to think carefully about the use of graphics in our teaching in order that we use visuals to effectively deliver information rather than distort it and confuse our learners. After reading three articles by Edward Tufte, I summarised some basic principles to form the basis of my explorations and use them to evaluate the infographics I found. According to Tufte (1983), graphical excellence happens when graphics: show data make viewers think about content not presentation/design avoid  the distortion of data present many numbers in a small space make large data sets coherent encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data reveal data on different levels - from broad to fine have a clear purpose: descriptive/ explorative /decorative/ tabulative be closely correlated with s...
7 comments
Read more

From Alignment to Impact: Why Curriculum, Feedback, and Organisational Design Matter

This reflection draws on established research in curriculum design, instructional leadership, feedback, and school improvement, as well as my ongoing doctoral study in curriculum and learning sciences. It is written from a leadership perspective and informed by sustained engagement with departments, teams, and classrooms throughout this half term. The intention is to make visible the research-informed rationale underpinning current and future priorities for teaching, learning, and collaboration. A Shift in Perspective This half term, my work has taken me away from classrooms and more into meetings. I have spent sustained time with several Heads of Department in strategic planning discussions, in departmental meetings focused on implementation, and in conversations with teachers and parents regarding learning, assessment, and progress. While this is a different vantage point from earlier reflections grounded in classroom observation, it has provided an additional and highly valuable per...
Post a Comment
Read more

Creativity Runs Wild

“There’s probably no better example of the throttling of creativity than the difference between what we observe in a kindergarten classroom and what we observe in a high school classroom.” (Levine) Wherever in the world I have been teaching, one of the most common observations of my classroom by other teachers is that it is "like a primary classroom". This is, more often that not, said in a derogatory and dismissive way, as if the colourful and expressive landscape of learning created through explorations of language and literature is a negative thing. That I cannot possibly be teaching a secondary curriculum if they seem to be creating so much..."mess" (as it has also been called). I have never paid much attention to this; I believe that my IB Diploma English Literature class learnt a great deal about the symbols, motifs, characters, language, themes and setting through the mural we painted all over the classroom. They learnt to problem solve and collaborate...
4 comments
Read more
From Brain-Based Learning to Heutagogy: Designing Agency With Care How do we design learning that develops agency without assuming learners are already fully independent? In my research this week, I found myself returning to the same question: how do we design learning that supports agency without assuming that learners are already fully self-directed or self-determined? The readings move from brain-based learning, to the space between pedagogy and andragogy, to the history of andragogy, and finally to heutagogy. Taken together, they challenge the idea that teaching and learning models can be neatly organised by age or stage. Instead, I see that they suggest effective learning design depends on context, readiness, purpose, motivation, and the kind of support learners need to grow. Jang et al. (2022) provide a useful starting point, reminding me that learning design needs to be grounded in how learning actually occurs. Their review of brain-based learning research highlights the import...
Post a Comment
Read more

Take charge of your own learning this year!

Following on from my post about taking up the Ten Tool Challenge , I have just started reading and taking part in a virtual book club for a fabulous book, 'Professional Learning in the Digital Age' by Kristen Swanson . From the start, this is a book that resonates with me on many levels and builds on approaches I was beginning to develop in my own practice. Its exploration of the ways adults learn and how educators can approach professional learning confirms and expands on many of my current beliefs - that we need to collect, consider and evaluate and share. One of my pet hates has always been professional learning that is outdated, repetitive, not relevant and a waste of my very precious time. Swanson states that "for adult learning experiences to be successful, learners should be aware of the intention of the activity. Instruction should be problem-based instead of content-based, and planning should be collaborative. Succinctly, adults must be engaged with the content...
1 comment
Read more

"A wonderful contribution to the field of global collaborative projects"

I am currently working on the culmination of my Flat Classroom Teacher Certification course, which is a collaborative Global Project Design. I have worked with a colleague from Wisconsin, USA to modify and develop my ' Dare to be Yourself ' unit, designed for my Year 8 and 9 learners this term. Originally written to address the problem of intolerance and lack of kindness, the 'Dare to be Yourself' unit, using the novel Stargirl , has been utilised to become a Global Project that can be delivered across the world and allow learners to connect and observe the similarities that exist in our world, with the hope of building individual, social and global conscience. In preparation, the following feedback has been received from one of the course facilitators:- Stargirl  by Jerry Spinelli from Goodreads "AMAZING!!!! Seriously, this is one of the most thoroughly and thoughtfully planned out projects I have seen. You have chosen a timely and timeless topic tha...
3 comments
Read more

From Consumers to Changemakers: Why Purposeful Digital Learning Matters

Conversations about technology in schools often begin from a place of legitimate concern. Families and educators are right to ask questions about distraction, wellbeing, social media, sleep, attention, and the amount of time young people spend in front of screens. These concerns should not be dismissed. They matter because children’s digital lives are complex, and schools have a responsibility to think carefully about how technology shapes learning, relationships, identity, and wellbeing.  However, one distinction is often blurred: Unmanaged recreational screen use is not the same as intentionally designed digital learning. Passive scrolling is not the same as collaborative inquiry. Social media consumption is not the same as learners using digital tools to research, create, communicate, receive feedback, organise ideas, or participate in meaningful communities. When all screen-based experiences are treated as the same, schools risk making decisions based on anxiety rather than on ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belonging Is Designed

Belonging is not granted after learners prove they can access the curriculum. Belonging is created through the way curriculum, instruction, assessment, relationships, and evidence-informed responses are designed. That idea has been sitting with me deeply. In schools, we often talk about belonging as something relational, cultural, or pastoral. Whilst it is, of course, all of those things, I also think belonging is a curriculum and learning design issue. Learners experience belonging, or exclusion, through the tasks they are given, the examples they see, the feedback they receive, the ways they are invited to participate, and the assumptions adults make about what they can do. Inclusion, then, cannot sit only in intervention structures or individual support plans. These matter, of course; some learners need targeted and specialist support, and schools need strong systems to provide it. But if inclusion begins only after a learner struggles, we have already accepted a design problem as a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Impossible Knife of Memory: Review

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson It might be safe to say that I inhaled this book and its incredibly crafted story, breathing out the smoke of words I digested and chewed over, coating my classroom in metaphors both grotesque and moving. This novel was the first of the Book a Month Challenge myself and my PLN established on Twitter, and I enjoyed this novel both as a reader and as a teacher. My learners noticed my reading it around the corridors; parents stopped me in the car park to ask what I was reading and to make sure I didn't walk into anything. An intriguing and moving novel about an intense father-daughter relationship of trauma and heartache, Amazon describes it as "Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down" - I guess I cannot disagree. I have taken and used many passages to teach figurative language as the writing demonstrates metaphor and personification in a complex yet access...
Post a Comment
Read more