equal prior math achievement to determine how a fixed mindset (the belief that intellectual abilities are fixed) compared to a growth mindset (the belief that intelligence can be developed) impacted math achievement.
The results of the study showed that the treatment group -- the students who embraced the belief that intellectual abilities can be cultivated and developed through application and instruction -- had marked improvement in grades and study habits compared to the control group. By the end of the fall term, the math grades had jumped apart and continued to diverge over the next two years
Dweck’s mindset theory goes hand in hand with the Common Core's Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) in conveying a growth mindset in the classroom. The key difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset teachers is in how they view struggling students. The fixed mindset teacher perceives these students as not sufficiently bright, talented or smart in the subject, whereas the growth mindset teacher sees struggling students as a challenge -- as learners who need guidance and feedback on how to improve. Growth mindset teachers see the challenge as an opportunity for students to learn when their efforts and mistakes are highly valued.
Growth mindset teachers supports the success of ALL students. Facilitating a risk free, growth mindset community develops students' problem solving abilities.
You have to believe that eventually, you will be able to understand. You have to sort through what you understand and what you don’t. You have to then formulate a good question and be courageous enough to ask the teacher to answer the question in front of a classroom, admitting that you don’t understand something in front of your peers
those who think of themselves “math people” can suffer from overconfidence
Our educational goal should be to help all students learn as much and as deeply as they possibly can, and to instill in them a love of learning.
people perform poorly on difficult cognitive tasks when there are extrinsic rewards for the successful accomplishment of those tasks.
Standardized testing disregards the effort students have exerted and they deemphasize the processes of math
Focusing on the process of math helps both low achieving and high achieving students learn true mathematical logic and not get discouraged because they can’t reach a right answer, or bored because reaching the right answer is too easy. Many students know how to get the right answers on standardized tests but don’t know how to think about math.
Our job as role models is to give our students the freedom to make their own choices, including lucrative choices in fields that require math. In my education courses, we were always told that modeling is more powerful than teaching. Adults are modeling this self-defeatist attitude.
Education needs to be about personal growth and teaching students to enjoy and revel in their knowledge, not on grooming students and sorting them for a job market that may be entirely different in 10 years. If students learn confidence, flexibility and that they’re good at learning, they’ll be ready for anything.
Education needs to be about personal growth and teaching students to enjoy and revel in their knowledge, not on grooming students and sorting them for a job market that may be entirely different in 10 years. If students learn confidence, flexibility and that they're good at learning, they'll be ready for anything.
Oh my goodness. This is exactly the encouragement we need. Each shared comment could be for our class. I particularly like your idea...."Education needs to be about personal growth and teaching students to enjoy and revel in their knowledge, not on grooming students and sorting them for a job market that may be entirely different in 10 years. If students learn confidence, flexibility and that they're good at learning, they'll be ready for anything." My father use to say, "Now we are cooking with gas!"