Many adults forget how often students face such frustration. In a culture that values self-confidence and the appearance thereof, the thinker lacks the cachet of the doer. Imagine watching James Bond struggle at the firing range, comparison-shop for armored convertibles, or study flash cards on the favorite drinks of Russian spies. To be sure, Americans do have a more positive attitude toward science and individual achievement than people in most other countries. But in our schools, the incentives remain skewed, as Bishop, Ted Sizer at Brown University, and other reformers have argued.
Schools evaluate relative rather than absolute performance.
Students don't want a tough teacher or brainy peers, because their grades and class rank will suffer. In countries where students are judged by external exams, the incentive works the opposite way. Rigorous classes and clever classmates help you to learn the material, pass the exam, and get the diploma. Students and parents in those provinces were also more likely to express interest in science. As Sizer pointed out in Horace's Compromise , the usual academic exams are not always appropriate.