Angela Duckworth on ‘Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance’

Hour 1

Guest: Angela Duckworth

[From the Radio Times archives] Grit is a trendy word in education these days, primarily because of the work of University of Pennsylvania psychology professor ANGELA DUCKWORTH.  Grit, according to Duckworth, is a “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals” and she’s found it’s grittiness, rather than IQ or natural talent, that explains why some people succeed while others fail. The good news is grit can be taught and in recent years, schools have been teaching it, incorporating lessons on stick-to-it-iveness into their curriculums. But there’s been some push back. There is concern that kids are being graded on their character and being blamed for failing when poor schools are at fault.  This hour, Marty talks with Duckworth, about all of this and her new book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.