Fostering GRIT in the University Student

Authors

Hope Ballentine
Diana Dunbar

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

5-5-2023

Keywords

Grit, Resilience, Growth, Tenacity, Inspiration

Abstract

Second Annual University of Arkansas Teaching and Learning Symposium: Sharing Teaching Ideas

In the preeminent work on grit, Duckworth et al. (2007) first defined grit as “perseverance and passion for long term-goals.” Evidence is overwhelming that grit is a predictor of success in various arenas of life, often when no other valid predictors can be identified. Grit was the only statistically significant predictor of both academic and clinical success in an Australian study of over 2000 university students (Terry & Peck, 2020). Both job satisfaction and performance are improved with increased grit (Cho & Kim, 2022). Clear evidence that a link exists between burnout and decreased levels of resilience clarifies the need for wellbeing promotion that include strategies for increasing resilience (Armstrong et al., 2022). Utilizing GRIT as an acronym for the concepts of Growth, Resilience, Inspiration, and Tenacity (Renner et. al., 2022) as a framework, we developed attitude goals for students to foster GRIT both to further understand and define the components of grit and to discuss strategies for increasing grit. Multiple strategies for curricular development for each concept are reviewed and can be incorporated into classroom settings and program development. To prepare students to enter, stay and flourish in the ever-changing workforce, educators must be aware of the need for grit. Through interventions aimed at promoting growth, resilience, inspiration, and tenacity, faculty can create a culture of grittiness in the next generation of professionals.

Citation

Ballentine, H., & Dunbar, D. (2023). Fostering GRIT in the University Student. TFSC Publications and Presentations. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/wctfscpub/63