Teaching is not just about standing in front of a classroom and lecturing. It involves much more than simply reciting facts and theories to students who are like blank slates.
Teaching involves nurturing young minds and connecting with students facing challenges. It also includes creating safe environments for exploration and learning. Additionally, teachers must stay updated on the latest research in child development, educational resources, and learning theories. And then going home and doing more prep work.
When cultivating a growth mindset within the scope of education, teachers pass on knowledge and instill a fundamental belief in the potential for improvement and academic growth. Encouraging a growth mindset involves approaching challenges with a positive attitude and viewing mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve, turning learning into a game where every stumble is just a plot twist leading to a more significant win.
By acknowledging the twists and turns of teaching and learning, educators can spark a sense of adventure in their students, nudging them to dive into challenges, laugh off mistakes, and ride the wave of growth in our ever-changing world.
What does it mean to develop a growth mindset?
What exactly does developing a growth mindset mean? Well, it's like planting a garden of endless possibilities in the classroom. Instead of seeing challenges as roadblocks, it's all about turning them into stepping stones for success. Think of it as flexing your brain muscles in a fun workout session – the more you train, the stronger you become!
With a growth mindset, students don't just learn; they adventure. Every mistake is an opportunity to grow. It's about embracing the journey of learning, from the ‘aha!’ light bulb moments to the ‘whoops, let’s try that again’ giggles. In short, it's like sprinkling some magic dust on the path to academic greatness!
Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset: What’s the difference?
Some of the latest research revolves around the idea of “fixed” versus “growth” mindsets and involves the “nurture,” “breakthrough,” and “create safe spaces” aspects of teaching. According to growth mindset theory, people with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence is fixed. People with a growth mindset believe their intelligence can improve.
Believing that you’re not good at math or that you can’t draw are examples of a fixed mindset. And while you might not be the next Albert Einstein or Rembrandt, research shows that you can develop your abilities and improve in those areas by embracing a growth mindset.
The idea of “fixed” versus “growth” mindsets involves the “nurture,” “breakthrough,” and “create safe spaces” aspects of teaching.
In her research, Carol Dweck found that developing a growth mindset can create a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval. With effort and intentional practice, intelligence, creativity, and emotional capacities can be developed and strengthened. This can be achieved with a growth mindset.
By putting in effort, one can enhance their intelligence and creativity. Emotional capacities like love and friendship can also be developed with intentional practice. People with a growth mindset are not discouraged by failure because they see it all as a part of learning.
In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck writes: “Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives…”
Why a growth mindset in the classroom matters
Developing and cultivating a growth mindset is advantageous at any age. But a growth mindset, shared between students and teachers in a class, can make a profound difference. A study of low-achieving 7th graders by Dweck, Lisa S. Blackwell, and Kali H. Trzesniewski provided impressive proof.
All students participated in eight 25-minute sessions on study skills and the physiology of the brain. But students in the experimental group were taught that intelligence is malleable and can be developed while students in the control group had a lesson on memory and engaged in discussions of academic issues of personal interest to them. Those in the experimental group showed a remarkable improvement in both student motivation and math grades, and students in the control group showed no improvement despite all the other interventions.
One teacher said of one of the students in the experimental group: ‘‘L., who never puts in any extra effort and doesn’t turn in homework on time, actually stayed up late working for hours to finish an assignment early so I could review it and give him a chance to revise it. He earned a B1 on the assignment [he had been getting C’s and lower].’’
Developing a growth mindset classroom requires an understanding of how the brain works and its capacity to grow and develop. The Project for Education Research That Scales, a research center in the psychology department at Stanford University, states, “It can be tempting to explain what a growth mindset is and what a fixed mindset is and then simply tell students that they ‘should’ have a growth mindset. That approach is sure to backfire—students won’t accept a completely new way of thinking just because someone tells them to, nor should they! Present the scientific evidence and help students come to their own decisions. In other words, ‘show them, don’t tell them.’”
Developing a growth mindset classroom requires an understanding of how the brain works and its capacity to grow and develop.
How to develop a growth mindset in students
Kathleen Kaplan, M. Ed., a math teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia and a former Regional Manager for Professional Development at ExploreLearning, suggests the following ways to develop a growth mindset:
- Emphasize conceptual learning and improvement over procedural memorization for long-term retention.
- Encourage students to develop and try different strategies to solve problems, rewarding perseverance and innovative approaches.
- Provide specific and meaningful feedback, focusing on effort and effective learning strategies rather than generic praise.
- Challenge high-achieving students to reflect on their learning and seek opportunities for deeper understanding and growth.
Debunking growth mindset myths: Understanding what it truly means
Like any new theory or research finding, growth mindset has seen its share of criticism, particularly that it praises and rewards effort without achievement, like the good old “participation trophy.” According to Dweck, “The most common misconception is simply equating the growth mindset with effort. Students need to try new strategies and seek input from others when they’re stuck. They need this repertoire of approaches—not just sheer effort—to learn and improve. The growth-mindset approach helps children feel good in the short and long terms, by helping them thrive on challenges and setbacks on their way to learning.”
Dweck notes that for many, a growth mindset has become the “in” thing to have, without understanding what it is exactly or how to develop one. “It was as though educators were faced with a choice: Are you an enlightened person who fosters students’ well-being? Or are you an unenlightened person with a fixed mindset who undermines them? So, of course, many claimed the growth mindset identity. But the path to a growth mindset is a journey, not a proclamation.”
Growing students’ mindsets with online tools and simulations
Simulations like ExploreLearning Gizmos are a great way to promote a growth mindset in the classroom. Research shows that simulations and virtual labs allow students to engage in scientific inquiry by overcoming traditional obstacles. For example, with a science simulation, students don’t have to worry about breaking equipment and can also conduct far more trials than would be possible with physical materials. Students can also pause a simulation, allowing them to engage in analytical thinking and improve their inquiry skills.
Dr. Amanda Gonczi says, “Teachers need to praise students’ engagement in scientific thinking and behaviors, including productive collaboration… and stress that science is not a matter of ‘getting it’ or ‘not getting it.’ Both understanding and doing science are skills that students can improve at, and simulations like Gizmos are great for developing these skills.”
ExploreLearning Reflex helps students develop math fact fluency in a highly adaptive and individualized environment so that students of all ability levels enjoy early and ongoing success. Giving students math fact fluency sets the stage for a math growth mindset and helps build confidence when trying new math tasks. Students become willing to take risks in class, are able to learn at their own pace, and can make mistakes in a safe environment.
And a growth mindset means embracing challenges and mistakes.
