Education World – Nicole Gorman 
Grit, a term that emerged single-handedly from the work of University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth, became an instant refresher for the argument that character education and non-cognitive skills have a place in education. But just as quickly as the term was popularized did it begin to receive criticism. Some argued that the grit phenomenon “romanticizes hardship” and distracts from what poor students really need to succeed. Others have argued against fully buying into the idea without sufficient research that proves it actually improves student achievement. Duckworth herself criticized the education community for using her research to promote high-stakes character assessment in this New York Times op-ed. However, whether you prefer to use the recently-popular term “grit” or prefer more old-fashioned terms like “perseverance” and “commitment,” it doesn’t change the fact that helping students to continue trying despite being presented with challenges and difficulties will help them succeed.(more)