Mindset Research
Mindset research is a branch of educational research that focuses on the different ways students think about learning and their perceptions of intelligence. It's an important topic to think about, because teachers need to be aware of these different ways of thinking. There are basically two different general mindsets that students and teachers can have. The first is the fixed mindset, where the belief is that students are born either smart, average, or below average or not smart. This is a harmful viewpoint. Students who buy into this mindset often really struggle in school, and do not put forth their best effort, because they don't think effort matters. They can also end up with low self-confidence and if their thinking is never corrected, they can give up on their goals. The other mindset, the growth mindset, is all about effort. This way of thinking says that students' abilities can be developed through learning. Students who buy into this mindset don't usually spend too much time worrying about a bad grade, because they believe that they will be able to learn from their mistakes and continue to learn and develop their knowledge. These students know that the more work they put toward their goals the more likely they are to achieve them. Teachers need to instruct students using the growth mindset explicitly so that students can buy into that viewpoint and realize their effort is what helps them learn and develop their knowledge.
The fact that babies' brains look completely different from a six-year-old's brain shows the many changes that take place while learning and development occur. Babies' brain cells grow larger and make increasing numbers of connections as they get older. These strengthening connections between brain cells mean that the child's brain itself is becoming stronger, just like when a person lifts weights and becomes stronger.
A study done by Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., & Dweck, C.S. (2007) involved dividing two groups of adolescent students for workshops on the brain and study skills. The control group was taught about the stages of memory, while the other group was taught about growth mindset. The results showed that three times as many of the students in the growth mindset group showed an increase in effort and engagement when compared with the control group. The growth mindset group also showed an increase in their grades.
(Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78. 246-263, Study 2)
This study shows great evidence of the benefits of teaching the growth mindset, and shows why this is such an important thing to utilize in classrooms!
A study done by Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., & Dweck, C.S. (2007) involved dividing two groups of adolescent students for workshops on the brain and study skills. The control group was taught about the stages of memory, while the other group was taught about growth mindset. The results showed that three times as many of the students in the growth mindset group showed an increase in effort and engagement when compared with the control group. The growth mindset group also showed an increase in their grades.
(Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78. 246-263, Study 2)
This study shows great evidence of the benefits of teaching the growth mindset, and shows why this is such an important thing to utilize in classrooms!