The recent meta-analysis at Case Western Reserve University analyzing that over 300 mindset studies showed the growth mindset alone has no significant impact. In order to help my learners develop a growth mindset, that is impactful, it's important for me to foster an environment that promotes perseverance, effort, and resilience. Incorporating feedforward allows students to focus on the process rather than the outcome or numerical grading scale. I plan to encourage students to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning that will help them to cultivate a growth mindset. Additionally, modeling a growth mindset to my students through sharing stories of individuals and personal obstacles I've overcome by having grit can inspire students to adopt a similar attitude. By creating a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, myself and other educators can play a significant role in helping learners develop a growth mindset.
Modeling the growth mindset and the message of "YET" demonstrates a belief in the power of effort. I will inspire students to approach challenges with positive attitudes. When faced with difficulties, I can model the use of the word "YET" by emphasizing that although they have not mastered a concept or skill at the moment. Allowing students to understand that they are on a journey of continuous improvement. By sharing stories, showing vulnerability, and discussing my own learning process will help students to see that setbacks are a natural part of the learning journey. Instead of learners viewing failures as permanent mistakes, they would be encouraged to see them as opportunities for growth and continuous learning.
There are a few factors beyond having a supportive environment that are essential to having an impact on the growth mindset. One crucial factor is the language and framing used when providing feedforward. Instead praising intelligence, which can promote fixed mindsets I will praise learners effort, progress, and strategies used. Therefore students will be more focused on the process rather than innate abilities. Also, the delivery of feedforward has an high effect on how learners accept it. If we are intentional, specific, and encouraging with our feedforward it will raise the level of motivation for students to continue to push through their challenges rather than resulting to a cheating mindframe to meet a numerical outcome. Next, I will set high expectations while providing the necessary support and resources to meet those expectations. This will help my learners develop a sense of of competence and autonomy, nurturing their ability to obtain a growth mindset. Lastly, creating a culture that values learning and improvement over performance will reinforce the importance of effort and resilience.
Preoccupation with grades is a contradiction to the concept of a growth mindset. In order to combat student's preoccupation of numerical grades, I will place a focus on formative assessments and feedforward of learning goals rather than standardized test scores. I will shift students perception from outcome to process. In order to accomplish this it is important to recognize grit. Grit is required to achieve goals, motivating students to persevere in the face of adversity. However, it must be tempered with support and the appropriate level of difficulty or "rigor".
Many times rigor is used improperly. Rigor should align to the brain development of learners. In developing my learning philosophy I found myself strongly supporting Jean Piaget's principles suggesting that learning materials and activities should involve the appropriate level of motor and mental operations for a child of a given age; avoiding students to perform tasks that are beyond their current cognitive abilities (Culatta, 2018). In order to keep the growth mindset from going out of style or being used improperly, I intend to make sure to provide learning activities that align to students cognitive abilities and are comprehensive and evidence-based. Grit is not and should never be a means for excessive rigor, but to focus learning activities that promote perseverance and resilience.
The growth mindset is a good start but it is evident that it is not enough on its own to produce learners that automatically adopt this mindset. It must be combined with other elements to have its greatest benefit on learners. Moving students towards a learner's mindset will work coherently with developing a growth mindset.
In conclusion, to move learners toward reigniting or adopting a learner's mindset we must create safe and inclusive learning environments where students feel comfortable takings risks, asking questions, and exploring new ideas. Encouraging curiosity and willingness to ask questions can help students develop a mindset that values their learning process or journey over having all the correct answers. Secondly, we must foster a classroom that incorporates opportunities for self-reflection and goal setting. This will help our learners become more aware of their learning process and motivations. This can be done through the use of journaling, peer feedback, and academic ePortfolios. Ultimately, providing learners with diverse and engaging learning experiences can help reignite a passion for learning by incorporating real-world application, hands-on activities, and integrating technology to cater to all learning styles within the classroom. By implementing these strategies, educators can help students move towards a learner's mindset, fostering a lifelong love for learning. Be the change to see the change.
To view a compilation of my learning journey thus far:
Reference
Culatta, R. (2018, November 30). Genetic epistemology (Jean Piaget). InstructionalDesign.org. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/genetic-epistemology/
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