Page 8 - ELG2309 Sep Issue 486

RESEARCH NEWS .

Students as altruistic teachers improve

both wellbeing and learning

By Gillian Ragsdale
ESL students on a writing course
made more progress when
students taught each other
altruistically, without apparent
reward, according to a study with
Iranian undergraduates, by Javad
Zare, Khaijeh Delavar and Ali
Derakshan at Kosar, Kharazmi
and Golestan Universities, Iran.
Over the last couple of decades,
interest in the new field of
‘positive psychology’ has grown
as both psychology and medicine
increasingly ask not just why
people are unwell, but also what
contributes to wellbeing? One of the
offshoots of this movement is the
‘well-becoming through teaching/
giving hypothesis’ proposing that
teaching, for its own sake, leads to
decreased self-focus and increased
wellbeing as well as more successful
teaching.
To test this experimentally,
Zare and colleagues recruited 130
Iranian undergraduates from three
universities all with a B1 level of
English (as based on the CEFR)
who were enrolled on a course to
improve their writing summary
skills; an especially useful skill for
academic study.
The students were split into two
groups of 65. Both groups followed
exactly the same course of 12 analysis converged on five main the first time, I was supposed to the intervention group were given
sessions, each following the familiar elements: self-esteem, gratitude, teach others without any rewards some initial instruction in how
menu of teacher presentation, then connectedness & community, as an assignment. I learnt to be to go about teaching their peers.
an hour of practice exercises and happiness, and compassion. These generous. At first, it didn’t feel The large effect size and positive
production of written summaries can clearly be seen in the students’ special, but later, I even looked for student experiences suggests that
of a longer text. In the intervention own words below. the other students who needed the initial investment in setting up
group, each student was instructed An improvement in self-esteem my help.’ this kind of peer-to-peer teaching
to teach another student what they was reported by 84% of students: The idea that teaching a skill is well worth the effort.
had just learnt about writing. In the ‘I felt happy because I found that or topic is an effective way to The only considerable downside
control group, these exercises and teaching others helped me notice improve learning is not new, but to the general sense of teaching –
writing assignments were carried my own capabilities.’ this study tackles a particularly as seen regarding other ‘helping’
out in pairs without any peer-to Gratitude, was mentioned by difficult emotional component professions – being altruistically
peer instruction. 76% of students: ‘We had great to pin down: altruism. The motivated, is the prevailing view
All students were tested on their moments together. This was the motivation for altruism is that practitioners are so rewarded
writing skills (using the Pearson most enjoyable class that I’ve ever generally viewed as being an by ‘the territory of shared task-
Test of English (PTE) Summarize had and I’m really grateful.’ internal reward of some kind, based joy and wonder’ that they
Written Text test) prior to the On connectedness & community: and there are signs of this in require less material remuneration
course and after completion. ‘At first, I didn’t really care about the student responses quoted than less altruistic professionals.
Results showed a significant them. But when I helped someone above. Such a process of internal
improvement in test scores for the learn it felt so good, I decided to reward should not be seen to REFERENCE
intervention group and that the help more. Later on, it became more invalidate altruism, but merely as n Zare, J., Delavar, K.D. and
effect size was large. like a responsibility for me. I felt an explanatory mechanism; the Derakhshan, A. (2023) The impact
Qualitative data collected from I had to do it for the group.’ saying still applies that ‘virtue is of altruism on the emotions and
question prompts after sessions, Happiness: ‘I remember I felt so its own reward.’ English summary writing skills of L2
and from 25 semi-structured happy the first time I answered my Altruistic teaching of this kind learners: An intervention study in the
interviews, shed light on the role of friend’s question.’ is a step beyond more ordinary light of positive psychology, Language
positive emotions experienced by Compassion: ‘I have never collaborative work, and the Teaching Research, https://doi.
the intervention group. Thematic been so generous in learning. For authors indicate that students in org/10.1177/13621688231151632
8 September 2023