Growth Mindsets
Brief summary:
There are two types of mindsets one can be said to be fixed where intelligence is static, the other is growth, where intelligence can be developed. The team have been looking at ways in which we can encourage pupils to develop a growth mindset. We have been on a course run by the University of Portsmouth and funding by the National College for Teaching and Leadership which has given us a basic structure to introduce growth mindsets into our classroom. Each of the team has chosen a lower set class and done a starting questionnaire to gage their current mindsets followed by 5 lessons into how the brain works where the development of a growth mindset is nurtured. The same questionnaire is then done for a second time and from this we will be able to compare and measure the impact that the series of 5 lessons had.
Alongside the work required by the University of Portsmouth we have introduced several new strategies into the classroom which encourage pupils to adopt a growth mindset.
Mistake Boards – mistake of the week: Mistake videos:
Stamps which reward effort rather than attainment:
Posters which link growth mindset and effort:
A change in language with regards to verbal and written feedback:
From this To this
Potential Benefits:
The potential benefits of encouraging pupils to adopt a growth mindset is increased intelligence. All the test scores and achievement measures only tell you where the pupil is, not how far they can go. A growth mindset encourages a pupil to take their learning further.
Tips for parents:
1) If your son/daughter does well in a particular subject, praise their effort not their level/grade.
2) If they’re not doing well don’t say “Its ok, I was never very good at that either.” Instead, encourage them to stick at it.
3) See mistakes in school work and tests as opportunities to improve and learn rather than looking at them negatively. You could use data from QLA (see QLA section) to help them fix their mistakes.