Mindset is a simple idea that has profound implications on learning. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist, researched the relationship between achievement and success for decades. Her research indicates that when students develop a “growth mindset”, they believe that intelligence can be learned and that the brain can grow. Students with a growth mindset demonstrate resilience and grit when facing challenge. Students with with a “fixed mindset” believe that you are either smart or you are not. When students with a fixed mindset fail or make a mistake, they are more likely to give up. Fixed mindset students frequently avoid challenge and instead to choose easier work where they know they will succeed. Fixed mindset beliefs contribute to inequalities in education as research has shown they particularly harm minority students and girls; they also contribute to overall low achievement and participation.
Key findings include:
educators must confront personal biases before they can address students' mindsets
100 Percent is Overrated, The Atlantic - People who are labelled "smart" at young age don't deal well with being wrong
Stanford Professor Urges Teachers to Rethink Math Instruction - EdSource
Teachers Seize On 'Growth Mindset,' But Crave More Training - EdWeek