Perry’s Scheme of Intellectual Development in College Students
College attendance is correlated with advances in thinking – makes sense, don’t you think? I can see it in the work of my own students over time. William Perry researched college students’ thinking for 10 years in an effort to understand the changes that occur due to college experiences. What resulted was a description of changes in thinking as they relate specifically to what students learn to study and produce on class exams. He discovered how students thought, because he bothered to ask them.
DUALISM
Answers to questions are true or false, issues are black or white. There is no gray area. Knowledge comes from authority figures (usually professors), and is never to be questioned. The best preparation for tests is to take good notes (write down everything the professor says), read the text and memorize it all to be reproduced for the exam. Thinking tends to focus on concrete situations. Essay questions are often misread, or really not read at all; students recognize the key words to tell them what the question is about and focus only on those. Then students write down everything they know about that topic (I consider it a kind of verbal diarrhea), regardless of whether it really answers the question. An example would be an essay question asking for the factors that contributed to the start of the War of 1812. The dualistic student’s approach would be to write down absolutely everything he/she knew about the War of 1812.
TRANSITION ONEThe student experiences a kind of pseudo-relativism. “I know there are multiple views, so I will figure out which one this professor likes best, and memorize that one.” Students recognize that there are multiple perspectives, but they are still looking for the Holy Grail (that one right answer). This transition usually occurs one discipline at a time, and then there is a gradual spread to the other courses they are taking.
RELATIVISM
Instead of accepting information blindly, alternatives are considered and weighed. Comparisons between conflicting points of view are possible, with students choosing which theory/explanation does the best job of all of the presented alternatives although there is still a focus on what the professor might describe as their preference. The student’s thought processes become more abstract and theoretical which is good. When faced with essay questions, the student stops to think, “What is the professor really looking for here?” The response is usually something like, “Oh, I need to compare the two,” or “Oh, I need to choose and justify my choice.”
TRANSITION TWOFor at least a short time, students become so caught up with the fact that there are many different views they end up saying, “It depends,” as the answer to every question. They are so overwhelmed by the idea of choice that they are paralyzed from making a choice. They balance by saying, “On the one hand,” and then, “On the other hand.” This can be a safe place to be, because you do not have to make a choice, but professors may become annoyed with a student’s inability to take a stand.
COMMITMENT IN RELATIVISM
Abstract thinking becomes more complex as the student becomes more capable of making a personal stand or stating an individual position, even if that position may run contrary to that held by the professor. Their ability to critically evaluate the options results in making an informed choice. Students make a personal choice on the basis of current information although there is an understanding that new theories may replace old ones. So, students choose, but recognize that the choice may not be appropriate in the future and thus, they remain open to new information. They recognize that there are limits to present knowledge.
The students also recognize that the faculty member is a knowledgeable resource, not an all-knowing god (darn!). Thus, professors do not know everything, and may even make mistakes. At the very least, students realize that they may not always agree with what a professor says about some issues, and that that is okay, as long as the argument they make for their position is sound and articulate and based on analytical reasoning.
Consider looking at your own writing in essay questions over time. If you have saved essays or papers, compare early ones to more recent work. I am guessing you will see the developing sophistication of your own work.