Mindset Research
Mindset research is new research showing that the way students view intelligence affects their motivation and mindset when it comes to hard work and their own intelligence. When students have a "fixed mindset" they believe your level of intelligence is something you're born with and is a fixed trait. Within this fixed mindset you want to do anything you can to look smart. you want to show others how good you are, but you don't want to work for it. People who have a fixed mindset believe hard work means your not smart because you have to do work, whereas naturally smart people shouldn't have to do work, they should just know the information without trying.
Many students with a fixed mindset give up in a subject if they do badly once, instead of trying harder the next time they assume they are bad at the whole subject and don't even try.
On the flip side is the "growth mindset", this is something we want our students to have. These people believe that intelligence is something that can be developed through work. To them learning is more important than looking smart, these people would rather actually learn and not get perfect scores because they know next time they can work hard and get a better score. Their main mindset is "The harder you work at something, the better you'll be at it".
I want my students to have growth mindsets, it's important for them to know that learning means you don't always do perfectly. Learning means next time, with work, you'll do better. I want my students to be ok with hard work, because it will benefit them in the long run.
Many students with a fixed mindset give up in a subject if they do badly once, instead of trying harder the next time they assume they are bad at the whole subject and don't even try.
On the flip side is the "growth mindset", this is something we want our students to have. These people believe that intelligence is something that can be developed through work. To them learning is more important than looking smart, these people would rather actually learn and not get perfect scores because they know next time they can work hard and get a better score. Their main mindset is "The harder you work at something, the better you'll be at it".
I want my students to have growth mindsets, it's important for them to know that learning means you don't always do perfectly. Learning means next time, with work, you'll do better. I want my students to be ok with hard work, because it will benefit them in the long run.
Did You Know?!
Did you know that in a typical classroom 40% of students have a fixed mindset? Another 40% have a growth mindset and the remaining 20% jump back and forth between the two.
Ask Yourself
Learn for yourself!
Do you want to know more about mindsets?