Some people think that students with excellent performance should be rewarded, while others believe rewarding those who show significant progress is more preferable. While both sides hold merit, I agree more with the latter because it helps students focus on the learning process rather than targeting only high scores.
On the one hand, advocates for top performers put an emphasis on many factors behind an excellent academic success. In order to achieve high scores, students need a good command of the subject, good reasoning skills, and resilience under stressful situations. Learners with such abilities are better equipped when facing challenges in a competitive environment. As a result, rewarding these students is important since it helps sustain motivation, which is the driver for further success. Additionally, rewarding high achievers also inspires other students, contributing to a more competitive and academic driven environment.
In contrast, rewarding progress offers more benefits. Those with average academic ability often make an effort to break their limits and achieve higher success. These students serve as role models for others, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones to achieve their targeted accomplishments. Furthermore, reaching top scores seems to be unattainable for some students, while making progress is a more realistic target. As a result, rewarding improvement gives students a sense of recognition and fosters positive learning habits. For this reason, I strongly believe that rewarding progress is more effective in shaping the right mindset for students, which focuses on the process of obtaining knowledge rather than its final outcomes.
In conclusion, although rewarding high scores brings certain benefits, recognizing students’ progress is more important. This approach helps learners value the learning process rather than focusing solely on its final results.