"The Boss: Female Power" in a podcast - researcher on intelligence: "It's a corruption that merely half of pupils should attend grammar school"
Elsbeth Stern, a distinguished professor of teaching and learning research at ETH Zurich, has been delving into the nature of intelligence for years. Intelligence comes in various forms, and the one that can be scientifically measured is called cognitive intelligence.
During the "Die Boss" podcast, where Simone Menne, a board member, played host, Elsbeth Stern discussed the definition of intelligence and the reasons behind why social or emotional competency does not factor into her research. "I'm not a fan of the term 'social or emotional intelligence' because the tools we use to measure these traits just don't match the quality of the instruments we employ for cognitive intelligence," she said. "Intelligence tests give us a much better understanding of cognitive abilities through the use of statistical methods."
According to her analysis, roughly 70% of individuals fall within the average intelligence spectrum. The remaining 30% can be broken down further, with 15% being smarter than average and another 15% less intelligent. When comparing intelligence levels across genders, she found that there's no significant discrepancy in the average. Nonetheless, research does suggest that "there are still disparities at the extremes. More men tend to be found in the lower levels and also at the very top, where the distribution becomes less balanced, approximately 60/40."
On the topic of parents insisting on providing their children with an elite education in belief of their above-average intelligence, Elsbeth Stern responded: "If you consider that intelligence is typically distributed evenly, it's quite misguided to say that half of the students should be enrolled in elite schools since you're essentially just setting a cut where the hump is largest."
As the discussion continued, she shared her thoughts about how this concept applies to universities, the role of educators, and the challenges faced when working for a manager who may not possess the same level of cognitive intelligence.
