October 15, 2026

“Schools are getting worse and worse; young people today can barely read and write! In the old days, education standards were higher, kids were less self-centered, and people were more moral.” Except…social scientists have shown that none of this is true — and that people have been insisting that things were better back when they were young pretty much forever. Such pronouncements tell us more about the individuals making them than about the reality they purport to describe. Moreover, myths of a halcyon past are wielded by right-wing demagogues and are used to justify authoritarian, “Because I said so!” parenting and back-to-basics, bunch o’ facts teaching.

RESOURCES

David Berliner & Bruce Biddle, The Manufactured Crisis (Addison-Wesley, 1995)
Richard Rothstein, The Way We Were​? (Century Foundation Press, 1998)
Adam Mastroianni & Daniel Gilbert, “The Illusion of Moral Decline,” Nature, June 7, 2023 – https://tinyurl.com/ypurm6j4
John Protzko & Jonathan Schooler, “Kids These Days,” Science Advances, October 16, 2019 – https://tinyurl.com/4cejw3ax

A note from Alfie Kohn:

If you’re enjoying Kohn’s Zone, please tell other people about it. If you have feedback about an episode, send it to https://www.alfiekohn.org/contact-us/. And if you’re willing to do your part to keep the podcast ad- and paywall-free, please click on the donate button or visit https://coff.ee/kohnszone. Thanks!

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PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio
ART: Abi Kohn

October 1, 2026

More than a quarter-century after “No Child Left Behind” deliberately left millions of children behind by imposing nationwide punitive high-stakes testing, U.S. students are still tested constantly, starting early in elementary school. Children in many states may be forced to repeat a grade based solely on their scores. In a memorable conversation, FAIRTEST director Harry Feder helps us understand just how pervasive testing has become and why that’s very bad news. Standardized exams have largely become, in his words, “tests of test-taking skills” rather than of academic proficiency. Moreover, NCLB and its legacy of constant testing (and test-oriented instruction) has a disproportionately damaging impact on low-income and minority students. Feder explains that authentic, performance-based assessments are not just realistic alternatives to standardized tests but produce far more meaningful results while avoiding the deadening effects of a test-prep curriculum. In short, people who who claim that standardized testing is necessary or useful are those who know the least about assessment and learning.

RESOURCES:
– Fairtest.org
– https://www.performanceassessment.org/
– Alfie Kohn, The Case Against Standardized Testing (Heinemann, 2000) – https://tinyurl.com/4akzwzf8
– Sixteen essential books about testing: https://tinyurl.com/2n44b5ux
– Stephen G. Sireci, “Standardization and UNDERSTANDardization in Educational Assessment,” Educational Measurement 39 (2020) – https://tinyurl.com/3afbv5p5

A note from Alfie Kohn:
I made two decisions when I decided to start this podcast. The first was not to accept ads. The second was to avoid putting certain episodes behind a paywall (or offering special content only to those who pay). But this means that I depend on the generosity of everyone who listens to help cover the production costs. So: Can you afford a modest contribution — ideally on a regular basis, since a podcast, after all, is not a one-shot event? If so, I’d be grateful if you’d support the project with whatever amount seems fair to you. (Your generosity will also confirm the thesis of my book The Brighter Side of Human Nature.)
Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please tell other people about it! And if you have feedback about an episode you’ve just listened to, send it to https://www.alfiekohn.org/contact-us/.

Please click the button below to donate.
If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone).

PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio
ART: Abi Kohn

September 15, 2026

The psychological consequences of pressuring children to perform well academically (and, worse, to outperform their peers) are distressingly obvious. But some adults rationalize their actions by claiming that pressure can be productive. Here we consider psychological research on different amounts and types of stress, as well as asking what exactly we view as a “productive” outcome. It turns out that internal pressure can be as damaging as external, and pressure on educators (e.g., to raise students’ test scores) can undermine the quality of teaching — and, thus, of learning. Likewise, “no pain, no gain” – a particularly toxic credo often taught to males – is driven more by ideology than by any evidence of practical value.

RESOURCES

Suniya Luthar and Bronwyn Becker, “Privileged but Pressured?” Child Development 73 (2002) – https://tinyurl.com/4r5arxa4

Abiola Keller et al., “Does the Perception that Stress Affects Health Matter?”, Health Psychology 31 (2012) – https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-30116-001

Thomas Curran et al., “Perfectionism is Accelerating Over Time,” Psychological Bulletin 152 (2026) – https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2027-72800-001.html

Cheryl Flink et al., “Controlling Teaching Strategies,” Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 59 (1990) – https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-13808-001

Edward L. Deci et al., “Effects of Performance Standards on Teaching Styles,” Journal of Educational Psychology 74 (1982) – https://tinyurl.com/3nekpbyw

Alfie Kohn, The Myth of the Spoiled Child (Beacon Press, 2016) – https://www.alfiekohn.org/myth-spoiled-child/

A note from Alfie Kohn:

If you’re enjoying Kohn’s Zone, please tell other people about it. If you have feedback about an episode, send it to https://www.alfiekohn.org/contact-us/. And if you’re willing to do your part to keep the podcast ad- and paywall-free, please click on the donate button or visit https://coff.ee/kohnszone. Thanks!

Please click the button below to donate.
If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone).

PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio
ART: Abi Kohn