Learning from Teachers Who Admit Mistakes

For 7- to 9-year-olds

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you. In this study, your child will watch short videos featuring two teachers who both make the same mistake during a lesson in class. One teacher admits their mistake (e.g., “Oh, that’s right! Thank you for pointing that out”), whereas the other does not (e.g., “Oh yeah, that’s what I meant”). After watching the videos, your child will be asked a few simple questions about which teacher they would rather learn from and ask for help.

This study explores how children respond when teachers make mistakes in the classroom. Although some teachers admit and correct their mistakes by turning them into valuable learning moments, others do not. We want to understand whether children notice these differences and whether it affects who they prefer to learn from and ask for help. This question is important because being able to choose a reliable and trustworthy teacher helps children become better learners and make sense of the world around them.

15 minutes

As a token of our appreciation, we will email you a $5 Amazon gift card (from Amazon.com) within a week of your participation. If you participate again with another child in the specified age range, you will receive one gift card per child. To be eligible for compensation, your child must be within the age range and visible in the video.