In Appendix 5 a summary is provided of the results of the students’ selfevaluations
by grade level and for the school as a whole. Initially the results were
surprising, but after more time was spent analyzing them, it became clear that they
are what we should have expected.
When the students were first given the pre-test, the teachers attempted to give them
an understanding of the different habits. Nevertheless, it is clear from the results
that over the course of the school year, the students gained a better understanding
of most habits and became more aware of their own behaviors. In six out of the
eight habits, the “Not Yet” column was a little higher after the students had learned
about the habit, indicating that this habit was not one they had in their behavior
repertoire. In five out of the eight habits, the “Sometimes” column was a little lower
in the post-test than in the pre-test, indicating that students felt less successful
using this habit. In five out of eight habits, the “Usually” column was lower
after the post-test. At first glance these results could appear disheartening. After
further consideration, however, it is obvious that a project of this nature will only
change student behavior over a period of time. As a first step, the students
have become aware of the habits of mind and how their behavior reflects these
habits. They can now make a more accurate assessment of their own thinking and
behavior. The good news is that this project is continuing and can continue
working towards the integration of these habits into the regular behaviors of
students