Productive Failure

Productive failure is an instructional method that encourages young learners to solve complex problems without formal instruction or direction from an adult (Kapur, 2015). When using this method, there are two parts. The first is the exploratory struggle. Children will be provided a problem to solve or a goal, but are not told how to solve it. During their explorations, children will use their own understanding of the world to generate possible solutions, that will usually fail to solve the problem. This is called productive failure. The second part of this method is instructional learning. Children are provided the educational content necessary to solve the problem and then implement that learning by completing the task.

In the absence of direct instructions, children have the opportunity to flex their developing critical thinking and complex reasoning skills. This provides a rich context for learning where the information is already foregrounded in the real world and children have an intrinsic motivation to learn the material to help them solve the problem.

Research has shown that productive failure increases three types of learning: (1) content knowledge (e.g., how gravity works, how to build a bridge), (2) procedural fluency (i.e., how to accomplish the task), and (3) transfer to novel situations (i.e., using their knowledge in one area and applying it to a novel, but similar problem) (Chowrira et al., 2019; Kapur, 2015, 2016). Students who are allowed to struggle in the first phase of learning outperform students who are provided direct instruction, and those who are provided guided-instruction (i.e., when educators scaffold activities by drawing attention to critical components or offering insight).

Not only does productive failure increase learning and retention, but it also allows for the critical development of grit. Grit is a psychological phenomenon whereby individuals are resistant to setbacks and failures. Grit is the most successful predictor of lifelong success and happiness. Productive failure allows educators to frame “failure” as opportunities for learning and growth. Celebrating failure as a part of the educational process teaches children to adopt a growth mindset that will inoculate them again setbacks both in school and life (Coppock, 2020). Helping children to transform perceived failures into moments of learning and opportunity might be the greatest lesson they learn in any classroom or home.

 How can you implement productive failure in your classroom? Here are some quick tips and ideas:

1. Provide challenges. Provide children with a task or goal such as, “build a bridge that spans these two chairs and can hold 5 books.” Then, allow them to explore! Group children into small teams of two-three, and watch science and ingenuity happen!

2. Resist the temptation to rescue! It’s tough for teachers and parents to watch children struggle. Often, we feel compelled to alleviate their child’s discomfort through intervention. Resisting the urge to save the day and focusing on encouraging students to complete the task as best they can. This will allow students to build independence and confidence in their own skills, empowering them to take on new tasks.

3. The Power of “Yet” When children become frustrated, they will often make defeatist statements such as “I can’t do it!” Framing challenges in a growth mindset, one that emphasizes a child’s potential, has been shown to encourage persistence and confidence.