Developing our Academic Qualities: Resourcefulness
13 February 2025 - Academic
How can we encourage our pupils to be more resourceful? What do we truly mean by the word resourceful?
As a Classicist, the first person that comes to mind when considering the word would be the Greek hero Odysseus, often referred to as ‘resourceful’ by Homer. He is equipped with many strategies, cunning tricks, and plans to escape from monsters he meets on his way – such as the cyclops Polyphemus, the witch Circe or the Sirens. We want our pupils to have a toolkit of tricks to work their way through a conundrum – in this case perhaps solving a mathematical problem instead of trying to escape from the Lotus-Eaters.
We want to encourage Wycombe Abbey pupils to be self-reliant thinkers who wrestle with challenging conundrums and find their own solutions. Assemblies have been given regarding revision strategies which are backed by scientific research and evidence; these techniques should help our pupils become better independent learners. For example, research shows that active recall (answering essay questions, multiple-choice questions or completing past papers) is much more beneficial than passive revision (re-reading or highlighting). We encourage pupils to quiz each other, teach a friend or write their own questions/ flash cards. They should also space out their learning, rather than cramming last minute, and mix up different subjects (interleaving) rather than ‘blocking’ (doing all of one subject in one session).
In The Revision Revolution, Helen Howell and Ross Morrison McGill emphasise the importance of pupils developing a problem-solving mindset by asking themselves key questions:
- Have I encountered a similar question before?
- What strategy worked best last time?
- How can I apply what I have learned from past examples or models?
By adopting this approach, pupils create their own intellectual resources, enabling them to work through challenges methodically and with confidence.
Miss Tara Strange
Consultant Teacher
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