Curious minds, better grades: Study finds curiosity linked to academic success among teens
While many factors a correlated with a student's grade, curiosity — not grit or self-control — emerged as the factor with the biggest link to academic success among 15-year-old students in South Korea, according to a new analysis of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data.
The Korea Education Development Institute revealed the findings in its spring 2025 issue, drawing from the 2022 PISA assessment, which surveyed approximately 5,600 Korean students.
PISA, run every three years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, evaluates how well 15-year-old students worldwide have acquired the knowledge and skills needed to participate in society.
Alongside cognitive subjects like science, mathematics, reading and creative thinking, the 2022 edition also assessed social-emotional competencies such as curiosity, perseverance, emotional control and stress resistance.
Korean students in the higher achievement groups scored significantly higher in curiosity than those in lower groups across all subjects.
Perseverance also showed consistent correlation, with high scorers outperforming their peers in every subject. Emotional control revealed was not linked to test scores, except in science and math.
Interestingly, in stress resistance, lower-achieving students often scored higher than their higher-performing peers in subjects excluding science and math.
When comparing Korean students' social-emotional competencies to the OECD average, emotional control stood out as Korea's strongest suit.
Korean students scored 0.18 on average in controlling their feelings, outperforming the OECD average of –0.01 by 0.19 points. Korean students also slightly exceeded the OECD average in curiosity and stress resistance, though they fell slightly behind in perseverance.
"Students with high social-emotional skills are better equipped to manage stress, maintain healthy interpersonal relationships, and navigate collaborative environments," Lee Ju-yeon, the KEDI researcher, said. "These competencies are essential not only for academic achievement but also for a successful and fulfilling life."
The results added the importance of integrating social-emotional learning into educational policy and classroom practices while pointing out how students' ability to self-direct learning is crucial in digital education, as emotional regulation is directly connected to confidence in learning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Korea's InnoCORE Attracts Top Global Postdocs Through U.S. Job Fairs
Over 100 postdoctoral researchers from top global universities were interviewed, underscoring Korea's rising global research appeal. SEOUL, South Korea, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea has launched its first large-scale initiative to attract outstanding global researchers in science and technology through InnoCORE, a new fellowship program aimed at recruiting international talent in Artificial Intelligence and Science & Technology (AI+S&T). The Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the country's four Institutes of Science and Technology (KAIST, GIST, DGIST, and UNIST), will invest KRW 300 billion (approximately USD 225 million) over the next five years to recruit and support 400 postdoctoral researchers in the interdisciplinary field of AI+S&T. As part of its global outreach efforts, InnoCORE hosted in-person job fairs in Boston (June 18, Northeastern University), New York (June 20, NYU-KAIST Global Campus), and Silicon Valley (June 23, KIC Silicon Valley). More than 100 postdoctoral researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with Korean research group leaders at these job fairs. The job fair not only attracted participants from local institutions—such as Harvard, MIT, NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and Stanford—but also from other premier universities across the United States, including Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Florida. The strong turnout of students reflects a growing interest in Korea's evolving role as a global research hub. Professor Hee-Seung Lee, Research Group leader of the AI Co-Research & Education for Innovative Drug Institute at KAIST, noted: "We had the chance to meet highly capable and motivated researchers with a strong potential to lead groundbreaking work in AI+S&T and was able to hear firsthand their enthusiasm for such a unique opportunity. Korea's strategic efforts through InnoCORE are resonating internationally. If these talented researchers enter our network, it will not only elevate Korea's global scientific standing but also strengthen our global talent pipeline in the future." Dr. Hyojun Lim, a postdoctoral fellow at MIT who participated in the job fair, commented: "For U.S.-based researchers seeking career opportunities in Korea, InnoCORE provided a truly practical and insightful platform. Direct discussions with the lead professors of the research projects gave me a clear sense of each research group's mission and future direction—far beyond what a website or brochure can convey." Building on the success of these events, the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea will officially commence the selection and onboarding of fellows in July. Each selected postdoctoral researcher will be offered a competitive base annual salary of KRW 90 million (~USD 66,000), with opportunities for additional research funding and compensation available through partnerships with industry and academic institutions. Fellows will also have access to advanced research infrastructure, including supercomputers, semiconductor cleanrooms, and cutting-edge biomedical facilities. The program will also implement a multi-layered mentoring system involving academic advisors, industry experts, and international researchers—designed to strengthen both independent research and multinational cooperation capabilities. InnoCORE currently operates through eight interdisciplinary research clusters. The projects are run in collaboration with Korea's top, major industry leaders (Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Naver), and global research giants such as MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Meta, Google, and IBM Research. Research areas include large language models (LLMs), generative AI, AI-based drug discovery, advanced manufacturing, aerospace AI, clean energy, and nanotechnology for brain disease diagnostics. Mr. Chang-yoon Lee, first vice minister of Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea stated: "The InnoCORE Global Postdoctoral Job Fair showed that Korea is emerging as an attractive destination for the world's top scientific talent. We will continue to invest in building an open, globally connected research ecosystem—one where talent from around the world can grow, collaborate, and lead globally impactful science from Korea."
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
Stroke can significantly increase risk of irregular heartbeat: study
Suffering a cerebrovascular accident can increase the risk of a heart arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation by up to seven times, according to a recent study by a Korean medical team released Thursday. The study analyzed the medical records of 98,706 patients who had experienced ischemic stroke and 47,695 patients who had suffered hemorrhagic stroke, using data from the National Health Insurance Service. The joint research was conducted by Samsung Medical Center, Soongsil University, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, and the Gangnam Center of Seoul National University Hospital. Researchers examined the incidence of atrial fibrillation among these stroke patients, comparing their cardiovascular histories with those of a control group with no history of stroke. The comparison revealed a significant correlation between stroke and the later development of arrhythmia. To ensure accuracy and eliminate the influence of external factors that could affect heart disease risk, the study matched participants in the patient and control groups based on general health, residential and financial conditions. Atrial fibrillation refers to an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots, heart failure and other heart-related complications. It can also increase the risk of stroke, a type of cerebrovascular accident that occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, cutting off essential oxygen and nutrients. "Atrial fibrillation is widely known as one of the causes of stroke, but there are also several cases in which AF is diagnosed after a stroke," said Shin Dong-wook, the professor of family medicine at SMC who led the study. "Most of the AF cases were found within a year after a stroke, which calls for early diagnosis and active management (of AF)." The research found that patients who had suffered an ischemic stroke were 7.32 times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation within the first year compared to those without a history of stroke. Even beyond the first year, their risk remained elevated, 1.64 times higher than the control group. Overall, the risk of AF after ischemic stroke increased by 2.32 times. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke were generally 1.24 times more likely to experience AF, and four times more likely within the first year after being diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Korea Herald
Huawei's 3,000 km EV battery claim sparks skepticism in solid-state race
Experts call range 'implausible,' citing technical hurdles, mass-production limits Huawei is making bold claims in the race for next-generation electric vehicle batteries, but are they too good to be true? The Chinese tech giant, already a high-profile newcomer in the EV component market, has filed a patent for a sulfide-based all-solid-state battery that reportedly enables a driving range of up to 3,000 kilometers and ultrafast charging in just five minutes, according to Chinese media outlet CarNewsChina. If true, the battery would far exceed the capabilities of any EV battery currently in commercial use. The patent, presumed to be filed in China, details Huawei's method of enhancing battery performance by doping sulfide solid electrolytes with nitrogen. The technique aims at mitigating interface instability — a key hurdle in solid-state battery development. The energy density is reportedly between 400 and 500 watt-hours per kilogram, potentially two to three times higher than today's lithium-ion cells. But skepticism is mounting among industry experts in Korea, who view the 3,000 km range and five-minute charging claims as ungrounded. 'Even the most advanced lithium-ion batteries, which generally have higher capacity than solid-state prototypes, fall far short of that kind of range,' said Yang Min-ho, professor of energy engineering at Dankook University. 'Such performance might be possible in lab conditions using only active materials, but real-world factors like energy loss and thermal management make mass production extremely difficult.' Yang pointed out that the cathode — the component that most determines a battery's energy capacity — remains largely the same between lithium-ion and solid-state formats, casting further doubt on Huawei's projection. A researcher at a major Korean battery firm described the nitrogen doping approach as 'a standard technique with limited scalability.' 'While nitrogen doping can help with interface stability, it's usually done under vacuum and with great precision. It's not something you can scale for commercial production without major cost and time penalties,' the researcher said. 'It's like trying to sprinkle pepper on a sandwich using tweezers.' Huawei's patent, the researcher added, may offer theoretical promise but lacks the kind of third-party validation or performance data required in academic research or production-grade rollout. 'That's the nature of patents. They grant rights, not credibility.' In the meantime, Korea's 'big three' battery makers — LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On — appear unfazed. 'We monitor developments in China closely, but this doesn't look like a game-changer yet,' the researcher said. Samsung SDI is currently leading Korea's solid-state battery efforts, having already sent samples to clients and targeting mass production by 2027. LG Energy Solution is working on both oxide- and sulfide-based solid-state technologies, aiming for commercialization by 2030. SK On plans to introduce polymer-oxide and sulfide variants between 2028 and 2030. Huawei's domestic rival Xiaomi has also entered the solid-state patent race, filing for a layered electrode structure that claims to deliver 1,200 km of range and an 800 km recharge in just 10 minutes. While the race for solid-state dominance continues, experts say such breakthrough-level numbers should be met with caution, especially when they come without independent verification. 'Huawei's ambition is clear,' said Yang. 'But battery science doesn't move in leaps. It moves in increments, and those increments take years to scale.'
