Growth Versus Fixed Mindset

What is a growth mindset, and what is a fixed mindset? The answers to these questions are fairly straightforward, but the classroom implications of each type of mindset are very important. Furthermore, each type of mindset will direct the feedback that a teacher gives in a classroom.

A fixed mindset is based on the assumption that a students level of intelligence is a natural ability. In this type of mindset, assignments and tests are essentially an opportunity for students to demonstrate the level of intelligence they were born with. An Edglossary article on the writing of Carol Dweck explains that a fixed mindset person thinks “that talent alone creates-without effort”. The “without effort” comment shows that this type of mindset is focused on natural talent, a person simply is or isn’t intelligent.

A growth mindset is focused on a person’s ability to gain intelligence through practice and effort. I like this quote from a Develop Good Habits article, “when people believe they can get smarter, they realize that their effort has an effect on their success, so they put in extra time, leading to higher achievement”. This mindset empowers students to take control of their learning to improve themselves.

I think most educators, myself included, have a growth mindset, and hope for our students to have one as well. Obviously some people are born with more natural intelligence, but we all show growth in areas that we work at and spend time with. Some students will grow at a faster rate than others, but students that are doing the work and believe they can get better are going to improve. So the question becomes, how do we encourage students have a growth mindset? This article by Katie Findley outlines some ideas for accomplishing that. Findley says to set attainable goals, reward and focus on a students effort rather than intelligence, and “help students focus on and value the process of learning”. I am looking forward to trying these tactics to hopefully help students move to a growth mindset, especially in cases where students are struggling and they think they can not do something.