How Education Methods Affect Academic Achievement

In today’s society, education is a vital element in one’s life successes. It is the key that allows people to question more, build their own character, and advance further in their careers. Being a well educated population plays a huge role in making a nation stronger and successful. However, the methods used in education are certainly a common topic of debate. In his essay “As A Matter of Fact: Why Fact-Based Education ≠ Academic Success” (2013), Matthew Pinson effectively persuades the reader that the teaching techniques set in place today is the reason why the United States is falling behind in academic achievement. He uses personal experiences and accredited references to trigger the reader’s emotions in hopes of changing the national educational standard by suggesting that students should not only be able to memorize information but have the ability to utilize it.

Pinson begins his essay by establishing his credibility in his description of several personal experiences he had observing students and teachers in high school classrooms. He provides scenarios that show the mediocrity of the education these students are receiving. For example, a student of an advanced placement environmental science class is having trouble with a computer-based laboratory exercise, the student is “immediately looking to the teacher for answers” (Pinson 9) instead of understanding the problem and devising a plan to fix the problem. Pinson later explains that the problem with education is that “Students today operate on academic habits and expectations built upon a framework of information regurgitation” (Pinson 9). Simply put, students nowadays expect teachers to give information and solutions to memorize instead of understanding and applying the...

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...in the United States has potential to become the finest in the world. He leads the reader to the point and supports his idea with personal experiences and accredited references. Consequently, Pinson is able to manifestly explain his belief of the matter, describe what is being done about it, illustrate why it is failing, and propose multiple solutions to fix the problem. By displaying the flaws of fact-based education, he exhibits the need for students to possess the ability to think critically. Through his well-made arguments, he sufficiently expresses the need to take action. Pinson is able to appeal to the audience’s thoughts leaving them with a concluding point that “we need to engage the students in thoughtful discussions whereby they use the facts to make challenging decisions, solve problems, and understand implications for the future of society” (Pinson 12).