Developing students' common sense

Parents and educators often shake their heads in frustration at the lack of common sense exhibited by today’s adolescents, but can its absence be at least partly blamed on the way in which we parent and educate?

Common sense is not an innate quality, and it is not acquired at any specific stage of development. It does not reflect intelligence in the traditional sense of the word (i.e. measured as IQ); however it can, according to American psychologist and psychometrician Robert J Sternberg, best known for his theory on intelligence and creativity, be considered “practical intelligence”.

This type of intelligence can be loosely described as the ability to apply knowledge to the “real world”, and involves reacting in an intelligent way to our environment, or even simply having a sound understanding of how life works. It is wisdom that is acquired through experience, through trial and error, and through using abilities and skills and applying them to everyday tasks and problems.