“What’s Hope Got To Do With It?”

Practical Strategies for Using Hope Theory to Increase Learning and Achievement

Peter A. Osborne, MS ‘13Career Services, University of Maine at Farmington

Defining hope and Snyder’s theory

Measuring hope

How hope affects students

Cultivating hope for increased learning and achievement

Hope:

Emotion vs. Motivational State

Snyder’s Hope Theory:

Hope = Goals + Pathways + Agency

The Hope Scale

“I can think of many ways to get out of a jam.”

“I meet the goals that I set for myself.”

“Even when others get discouraged, I know I can find a way to solve the problem.”

Goal Orientation

Learning Goals vs. Performance Goals

Can you “teach” hope?

Advise students in the development of clear, attainable goals and outline the steps necessary to achieve them.

Role model hopeful thinking and action and share with students your

own goal-making process and strategies for achieving them.

Debrief the successes, too, not just the failures.

If students are new to goal-setting, or don’t have high levels of hopeful

thinking, help them “start small” and build on the successes.

Other ideas or strategies to cultivate hope in learners?

Adult learners in particular? Older learners? Learners with disabilities?

Experiences you have had cultivating hope in yourself or others?

Questions, comments, or other thoughts?

THANK YOU!

Chang, E. C. (1998). Hope, problem-solving ability, and coping in a college student population: Some implications for theory and practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(7), 953-962.

Curry, L. A., Snyder, C. R., Cook, D. L., Ruby, B. C., & Rehm, M. (1997). Role of hope in academic and sport achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(6), 1257-1267.

Snyder, C. R. (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of hope: Theory, measures, & applications. Academic Press: San Diego.

Snyder, C. R., Shorey, H. S., Cheavens, J., Pulvers, K. M., Adams, III, V. H., & Wiklund, C. (2002). Hope and academic success in college. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(4), 820-826. doi:10.1037//0022-0663.94.4.820