Hello colleagues, The issue of "growth mindset" has been a conversation in education circles for a while. In essence, when someone has a growth mindset, they believe that with effort one can learn and grow. In contrast, someone with a fixed mindset believes that effort does not matter because one's ability is limited at birth.
Here's a link to a great video that summarizes the power of having a growth mindset in which the researcher Carol Dweck discusses the impact of praising students for their effort rather than praising them for their innate abilities or talent.
Members who are interested in this topic, may want to check out this new Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, "Sky's the Limit: Growth Mindset, Students, and Schools in PISA." I've copied a couple of paragraphs from the report's summary below.
"A growth mindset is the belief that one’s skills and qualities can be cultivated through effort, good strategies, and support from others as opposed to a fixed mindset that supposes them to be determined at birth. A person with a growth mindset is more likely to embrace challenges and learn from setbacks to reach greater levels of achievement than a person with a fixed mindset who avoids challenges and mostly seeks approval. Instilling a growth mindset is not just about praising effort, which can backfire and generate adverse effects. Rather, it implies rewarding progress and the processes that lead to greater learning. It is a process that requires continuous efforts from students, educators, parents, and guardians."
"Teachers play a critical role in establishing an environment conducive to growth mindset development, and providing guidance and continuous feedback to support the learning process. The level of teacher support for their students and their capacity to adapt instruction and include regular learning challenges in the learning process are positively associated with growth mindset development in PISA. These teacher practices moderate the relationship between growth mindset and academic performance. On average across OECD countries, students who present a growth mindset score higher than their peers with a fixed mindset and this difference increases when teachers are more supportive, adapt instruction, or provide feedback."
In what ways do you think focusing on growth mindset in your practice matters? What are the practical implications for our work as teachers of adult English learners?
Take care, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP