{"id":431,"date":"2012-11-15T09:14:25","date_gmt":"2012-11-15T09:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scqa.hult.edu\/en\/news\/hult-labs\/2012\/november\/why-learning-is-not-about-the-struggle-but-the-approach\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T10:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T10:30:03","slug":"why-learning-is-not-about-the-struggle-but-the-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/why-learning-is-not-about-the-struggle-but-the-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Learning Is Not About The Struggle, But The Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever struggled with a math problem, or getting through a stream of consciousness novel?\u00a0 If your answer is \u201cno\u201d, then you can probably stop reading now. But, if you\u2019re answer is \u201cyes,\u201d then know this: struggling is not a bad thing \u2013 it\u2019s how you deal with the struggle that makes the biggest difference.<\/p>\n<p>During his graduate studies in Japan, UCLA Professor of Psychology Jim Stigler first observed that students who struggled in the classroom didn\u2019t hide it, and didn\u2019t feel ashamed. Teachers and students alike viewed struggling as a natural learning process.\u00a0 Professor Stigler saw that persistency was what counted. It didn\u2019t matter so much that a student \u201cdidn\u2019t get it,\u201d what mattered more was that a student <em>didn\u2019t give up<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think that from very early ages we [in America] see struggle as an indicator that you&#8217;re just not very smart,&#8221; Stigler says. &#8220;It&#8217;s a sign of low ability \u2014 people who are smart don&#8217;t struggle, they just naturally get it, that&#8217;s our folk theory. Whereas in Asian cultures they tend to see struggle more as an opportunity.&#8221; So said Professor Stigler in an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/health\/2012\/11\/12\/164793058\/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR interview<\/a> on November 13th.<\/p>\n<p>Brown University Professor Jin Li has also conducted field research on learning beliefs between Asian and U.S. students and noted one distinct difference: Western students are brought up to believe that intelligence is a \u201ccause\u201d (it\u2019s more about intrinsic ability than behavior), whereas Asian students are taught that success is a result of what they do, not who they are.<\/p>\n<p>This difference puts struggling in the classroom in a new light; it\u2019s not about the capacity to learn, but about one\u2019s inner mettle to tackle (and continue tackling) a challenge that matters the most. Professor Stigler: &#8220;Could we change our views of learning and place more emphasis on struggle? I just think that especially in schools, we don&#8217;t create enough of those experiences, and then we don&#8217;t point them out clearly enough.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>To listen or read the interview in its entirety, go <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/health\/2012\/11\/12\/164793058\/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Make the most of what your career has to offer with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/en\/programs\/masters\/international-business\/\">Masters in International Business<\/a> from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/challenge-learning-startup-aqai\/\">How challenge learning at Hult helped me launch my dream startup<\/a>, or give your employability a huge boost with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/en\/programs\/mba\/\">MBA in international business<\/a>. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever struggled with a math problem, or getting through a stream of consciousness novel?\u00a0 If your answer is \u201cno\u201d, then you can probably stop reading now. But, if&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Learning Is Not About The Struggle, But The Approach | Hult International Business School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you ever struggled with a math problem, or getting through a stream of consciousness novel?\u00a0 If your answer is \u201cno\u201d, then you can probably stop reading now. 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