Research shows how being a responsible student, maintaining an interest in school, and having good reading and writing skills are not just limited to contributing to a students’ success in high school but could also be a predictor of educational and occupational success in years to come. According to researchers, said success is due to specific behaviors that have been present in high school which can then have a long-lasting effect on one’s later life, regardless of IQ and parental incomes. This idea highlights the importance of education and how it can not only benefit a particular individual but a collective society.
This investigation was based on collections and analysis of data from over 300,000 high school students in 1960, along with follow up data from 81,000 of those students 11 years later and 2,000 of them 50 years later. The qualities that made a good student in High School, for instance, responsibility, interest in school, and reading and writing skills, were all significantly associated with greater educational attainment and better and prestigious jobs both 11 years and 50 years after high school. Further analysis suggested that the importance of specific characteristics seen during high school were key predictors of success at a later point in life. “This study highlights the possibility that certain behaviors at crucial periods could have long-term consequences for a person’s life” – the researcher said.
Upon analysis, the idea that behaviors in early life could be predictors of success is effortlessly understandable. This study provides key evidence that highlights the importance of the education system and society. On another thought, it’s important to state the article presented above evaluates this idea in terms of education and life success in the future. However, I believe this same idea can be applied to bad behaviors and habits that can be translated from early life to adulthood. This means that the education system and society are not the only factors to consider, as parenting and appropriate education in the foundations of home can also contribute to better social outcomes in the future.
Link to article: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/02/high-school-behavior