For the most part, educational systems have been content to predict student success on the basis of innate cognitive ability and the numbers put forward by standardised examinations. Modern educational psychology tells a different story, however. An extensive body of work shows that to achieve at a high level over time is less about raw intellect and more about possessing certain psychological qualities that can be cultivated. Where an institution overlooks the emotional and behavioural underpinnings of learning, it is apt to mistake a bout of cognitive fatigue for an absence of real capability, and in doing so withholds the support needed for long-term excellence.
The present empirical study puts this to the test by examining the dynamics and behaviour that set apart high-achievers in higher education. We have followed a representative sample of 1,850 university students through a two-year cycle using a rigorous mixed-methods longitudinal design. To add qualitative dimension to our data we held 90 semi-structured conversations with developmental psychologists, deans and wellbeing directors. Our multivariate modelling, which incorporates structural equation and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, leaves little room for doubt: grit, intrinsic motivation and academic self-efficacy are powerful predictors of sustained achievement (β = 0.89, p < 0.001). On the other hand, one sees a marked suppression of a student’s trajectory from chronic cognitive fatigue or maladaptive perfectionism (β = -0.68, p < 0.01). The onus is on higher education to make room for such strength-building in their pedagogy.