As we continue to consider the best ways to help students after lockdown, the psychological concept of ‘flow’ might come in handy. It is a concept often applied in sports. ‘Flow’ describes when an athlete’s performance becomes seemingly effortless, and they are totally and utterly focused on the game. It helps them to feel positive, lose any fear of failure, and make their best performance.
Flow was originally conceptualised in 1990 by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who described it as “a deeply rewarding and optimal experience characterised by intense focus on a specific activity to the point of becoming totally absorbed in it.”
So, if flow means intense focus on the present moment, and deep engagement in the activity at hand, surely it can help students to get more out of their post-lockdown learning. The only questions that remain are: does flow apply to students too? And if so, how can we, as educators, help students to experience flow?
Research suggests that students can indeed experience flow, and that the concept of flow can be incorporated within Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theory.
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a stage of learning where students can learn new concepts and tasks with the help and support of their teacher. Within the ZPD, you can use scaffolding, a teaching technique whereby teachers provide students with lots of help initially, then gradually reduce their assistance as students become more comfortable with the task. This enables the student to be able to later complete the task independently.
Flow describes the progression to a state where students have now developed the skills to complete these tasks by themselves. In this state, the level of challenge students face is high, but they also believe that they have the skills required to meet the challenge.
Therefore, flow is all about having a balance of skills and challenge, to allow students to become engrossed in their learning and boost their academic performance. Flow can also be highly rewarding, leading students to experience positive states, and motivating them to continue to strive for flow. So, not only does it help students to focus, flow can also help students enjoy their learning more. After lockdown, this could improve their well-being and boost their motivation to work hard and ‘catch up’.
Most students will have experienced flow in their learning before. But after months of remote learning, they may struggle to settle back into classroom learning. So, how can teachers get their students back into flow to ease this process?
After months of distance learning, students may find adjusting to classroom learning again a little tricky. But, we think that if teachers can tap into the psychology of flow, they can help their students to engage in and enjoy their learning after lockdown, and be well on their way to achieving their full potential. We hope that these tips are helpful in doing so!
For more ideas on helping students after lockdown, take a look at our blogs on 3 things to consider as schools return and is developing a growth mindset the best post-lockdown boost?