Carol Dweck and her colleagues began to research what enables some students to be resilient and enjoy challenges and why others struggled to do so. Her revolutionary finding was regarding ‘mindset’. The type of mindset a person adopts can have significant implications on their personal characteristics and how they view their own learning. (Dweck, 2006; Dweck et al., 1995; Dweck & Leggett, 1988; Molden & Dweck, 2006) According to Dweck there are two types of mindset- fixed and growth. P7- ‘This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way- in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests or temperaments- everyone can change …show more content…
If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character- well then you’d better prove you have a healthy dose of them. Although this language is used in schools, neurological research (OECD, 2007) shows that as we learn, the brain continually adapts, indicating that belief in a growth mindset is scientifically accurate, and therefore a fixed mindset is a myth. Although it is important to define the meaning of both these mindsets, it is important to clarify that this use of language is not particularly used in the context of the mathematics classrooms. The emphasis is on all learners developing a growth mindset attitude towards mathematics and problem solving. Students with fixed mindsets tend to believe that intelligence is fixed and dependent on ability rather than effort, this means they withdraw from questions when they struggle. (Dweck, 2006; Robin & Pals, 2002). (Dewck 2012 P75- ‘So in the fixed mindset, both positive and negative labels can mess with your mind. When you’re given a positive label, you’re afraid of losing it, and when you’re hit with a negative label, you’re afraid of deserving it. ‘Students that adopt a growth mindset see mistakes as chances for feedback and are more likely to learn from them. They see success as the amount of effort one puts in, not intelligence or ability. Dweck (2006). …show more content…
It makes their confidence and motivation more fragile’. Many studies indicate that, contrary to popular belief, ability-centered or intelligence-centered praise can have a number of detrimental effects when children believe the praise to be insincere (Meyer, 1992), or when it makes them feel pressured to replicate or exceed their performance in the future (Baumeister, Hutton, & Cairns, 1990- find reference). Dweck and Mueller 1998 conducted a study of 400 fifth grade students in the United States, looking at the effect of praise on learners. The students were given a relatively easy test consisting of non verbal puzzles. Once they finished, half the learners were told the score and given praise based on their intelligence, the other half were praised on their effort. Subsequently, the students were asked to choose between two different tests- a more difficult one or an easier one. Of the students that were praised on their effort nearly 90% chose the harder test. After this, testing the students’ fear of failure, the test was significantly more difficult. The students that were praised on their effort worked much harder on the problems than the students that were praised for their intelligence. When the students were given the option of looking at exams of higher performing o lower performing students, the group that had been praised for their effort were more
As Dweck explains, children who are praised for their intelligence does not want to learn hence develop a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is where people believe that their qualities such as talent and intelligence are essentially fixed traits. Such people would only concentrate on documenting their intelligence instead of looking for ways for developing the same. In addition, these people make the assumption that their intelligence would make them successful. On the other hand, a growth mindset is where people are aware that it is possible to develop their abilities through hard work and dedication. When I was in Grade 7, a teacher encouraged all students that they all had the ability to perform well in science. After the initial interaction, the teacher was aware that a certain percentage of the class performed way below average; yet, he did not water down their spirit. I remember the way he used to acknowledge even some insignificant improvement made in his tests by comments such as “You are making good progress so far”. Primarily, this teacher focused on the perseverance, strategies, and efforts the students put towards improvement as opposed to praising talent (Dweck 5). The result was that we changed our attitude and focused more on self-improvement.
In Carol Dweck’s article titled, “Brainology” Dweck discusses the different mindsets that students have about intelligence. Some where taught that each person had a set amount of intelligence, while others were trained that intelligence is something they could develop and increase over time. in Dweck’s article she writes, “ It is a belief that intelligence can be developed that opens students to a love of learning, a belief in the power of effort and constrictive, determined reactions to setbacks” (Dweck pg. 2). Dweck is talking about a growth mind-set in which is how students perceive the growth of knowledge and that no one person is born with a certain amount of intelligence, it too can be trained and developed over time. By introducing Dweck’s ideas of a growth mind-set to students, students will enjoy learning and be less devastated by setbacks, because they know they can develop intelligence. Dweck also writes that students with a growth mind-set, “believe that intelligence is something that can be cultivated through effort and education. They
It was not until I read Carol S. Dweck’s “Brainology” that I realized I had a fixed mindset. I care more about getting a 4.0 than actually understanding what I am being taught and I also hate struggling. These habits are part of having a fixed mindset. It was after reading this article that I discovered I could change my mindset and be successful. Having a fixed mindset means that you believe that you and others only have a certain amount of intelligence. A growth mindset on the other hand, is believing that everyone has the ability to reach a higher level of intelligence through effort and hardwork.
During Dweck’s research, her study shows that there are two different beliefs in mind-set (self theory): fixed mind-set and growth mind-set. Dweck states that a fixed mind-set is “static trait” in other words gifted, where as growth mind-set is intelligence that could be developed throughout the years. When a student is in grade school, it is truly difficult if a teacher does not believe in her students. After designing workshops for both teachers and students, it taught the students how to use their brain in many different ways. To find the answers Dweck followed seventh graders in New York, where she monitored the grades of the students to see whether they would improve or not. In the “Mind-Sets and Equitable Education,” it states that the growth mind-set children believe in themselves, whereas fixed mind-set try to look smart and make perfection. “The Matthew Effect” plays a huge role in the growth and fixed mind-set, by the Canadian athletes having to push themselves to get a higher level and excel creating
Both were given a workshop with skills on how to study, but one was also given lessons on what a growth mindset was and how to develop one. The group given the lessons on growth mindset was extremely fascinated by the thought that they could control how much knowledge they were capable of learning. Overall, the growth mindset group excelled while the control group continued to not do so well. After receiving these results, Dweck was so inspired that she developed a growth mindset computer program called “Brainology,” that would be available to students all around the world. Dweck concluded that it’s extremely important to teach students that it takes hard work to achieve
While reading this book I found out that under certain circumstances I am a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset. One, very identifiable, area I have a fixed mindset in, is the math content area. When ever I think about being forced to learn or teach math, I completely shut down. I feel I’ve become this way because for years I’ve heard that I need more work in that area, and that I have a hard time understanding it. So I feel I’ve lost any drive to concur it when I’ve already felt defeated by it. Which after reading this book I have realized this mentality could easily transfer to my students because that is one thing I have learned again and again from this book it is that one fixed mid set can have an immediate impact on the mind set of those people who are interacting with the person.
There are many attitudes that form certain mindsets. Some of these mindsets can change how a person does and perceives things. Some mindsets that can do just that are Dweck’s example of a growth mindset and fixed mindsets. According to Dweck, a fixed mindset is one in where “.. students believe that intelligence is fixed..” and a fixed mindset is the “..believe that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning. As a result, confronting challenges, profiting from mistakes, and persevering in the face of setbacks become ways of getting smarter. Because people with growth mindsets can through setbacks, and find alternatives to better themselves; They turn to perseverance and hard work to achieve their goals.
Have you ever thought about yourself if you are in the fixed or a growth mindset? A fixed mindset person is someone who overcomes obstacles, works hard, and failure does not stop them. On the other hand a person who is in the fixed mindset is someone who is non challenge, gives up, or thinks that success is abuse. In a book called “Mindset The New Psychology of Success” the author Carol S. Dweck talks about different ways we can convert ourselves from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and the author also talks about the qualities of the growth and fixed mindsets. In a movie“Freedom Writers” the author Erin Gruwell shows us how she was a growth minded teacher but her students were in the fixed minded group. Throughout the school year the students had a fixed mindset but as time went by the students somehow their mindsets into the growth mindset. Freedom writers illustrates the fixed mindsets of the teacher and students and a growth minded teacher who changed everything.
As far as I can remember, I was never really any good at school. I couldn’t concentrate on things for no more than 5 minutes at a time, I would either get discouraged or find it too easy and just give up. An author by the name of Carol Dweck wrote an article called “Brainology”. In it, Dweck describes that there are two types of mindsets: fixed and growth. Those who are afraid to fail so they never try anything new are those with a fixed mindset and the growth mindset are those who are not afraid to fail and find a new challenge, an opportunity to learn something new.
In Carol Dweck’s “Brainology” the article explains how our brain is always being altered by our experiences and knowledge during our lifespan. For this Dweck conducted a research in what students believe about their own brain and their thoughts in their intelligence. They were questioned, if intelligence was something fixed or if it could grow and change; and how this affected their motivation, learning, and academic achievements. The response to it came with different points of views, beliefs, or mindset in which created different behavior and learning tendencies. These two mindsets are call fixed and growth mindsets. In a fixed mindset, the individual believes that intelligence is something already obtain and that is it. They worry if they
There are two mindsets growth or fixed. She argues that there is only two mindsets growth or fixed, I agree because these two mindsets are the most common ones in students. This takes me back to Dweck, Carol S. “Brainology”: Transforming Students’ Motivation to Learn. In this article students with growth mindsets cares more about their education rather than how they look. Students with fixed mindsets cared about how smart they will appear and they would reject learning opportunities because they thought intelligence would have to come naturally to them. I agree with what she says, there are only two mindsets. The reason I agree is because I was both mindsets, well now I’m only one. But before I was a fixed mindset and what I mean by that is sometimes I would feel dumb and I wouldn’t even care anymore about my studies. Till I noticed that the way I was going wasn’t going to
Individuals view and react differently to situations and challenges in life, the direct effect of having a Fixed mindset or a Growth mindset will coordinate our response . The Fixed mindset is believing our qualities are unchangeable and that the genes we are born with are all that can accomplish, people with the Fixed mindset view a situation or challenge as a negative and as a direct measure of their competence and worth.
These mindsets have a large impact in our lives including my own! Even though a growth mindset is the ideal mindset, I consider myself to have more of a fixed mindset than a growth mindset.
We as educators and parents want our children to grow up to be the best that they can be. Are we helping them when we tell that they are doing a good job on something or are we hurting them? Some research has shown that praising a child with words like “Good Job” or “Way to Go” is not helping them build their self-esteem or grow as individuals. We need to do more to help them grow as individuals and learners. According to Alfie Kohn (2001) “praise is a verbal reward” (p. 1). He states in his article “Five Reasons to Stop Saying Good Job” that praise is also controlling (Kohn, 2001) Have you ever been at a restaurant or out to local grocery store (or even said to your own kids) and hear if you will be good I will buy you a treat. Controlling? Yes controlling, but in the classroom do we use the same type of praise to get our students to do the same thing?
A fixed mindset is a person with different mindset that care about other things than school. Sometimes students are fixed mindset tempted to do some learning, but at the end attended to do the same as before. Also worry about how much different they are from other students. Growth mindsets believe that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning. Students are ready for the challenges they receive. The confidence of a growing student has its untouchable willing to learn more and