What determines students’ success at school? Talent? IQ? Or family background?
Research by mathematician Treisman at the University of California, Berkeley showed something different. The key factor is not only ability or IQ, but also how students learn.
Myth vs. Reality
It is often said that failure is caused by poor schooling or insufficient background.
But the reality is simpler—and more surprising.
The biggest obstacle is often study isolation.
Students who study alone have a significantly lower chance of success than those who learn together.
The Power of the “Study Tribe”
Successful students naturally form small groups—so-called study tribes.
They solve tasks together, discuss, make mistakes, and search for solutions.
It is in this interaction that deeper understanding occurs:
- by explaining, we teach ourselves,
- by sharing mistakes, we learn faster,
- through different perspectives, we expand our thinking.
Learning thus becomes an active process, not passive absorption of information.
What This Means for Teaching
If we want to improve student success, it is not enough to simply deliver content.
We need to create an environment where:
- collaboration is natural,
- it is safe to make mistakes,
- and students learn from each other.
Because real learning does not happen in isolation—but through collaboration.
Source: Dirksen, Julie – Design for How People Learn (2012)
