Is grit teachable, or is it sometimes a label for opportunity?

Angela Duckworth's talk "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" popularised the idea that sticking with long-term goals is an important predictor of success and can be encouraged. The idea has influenced many schools. It has also been criticised: some researchers question how well the evidence supports the strongest claims, and others worry that stressing grit can ignore the barriers many students face.

We are asking readers to examine the question carefully. A good answer would say what you mean by grit, what evidence you have seen that it can or cannot be taught, how you would separate a student's determination from the circumstances that make perseverance easier or harder, and what a school could do that respects both.

Experiences from teachers and students are welcome, including cases in which encouragement to persevere helped, and cases in which it was the wrong response to a deeper problem such as hunger, an unsafe home or an unsuitable course.

Watch the talk if you can, then tell us where you agree and where you do not.