Extra Curricular

Mindset

A topic of great interest to me is the research undertaken by Dr Carol Dweck who is the Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and is the author of the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In this book Dr Dweck talks about how learners generally fall into one of two categories within a given time; a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. For most of us we oscillate between the two.

A Fixed Mindset learner believes that Intelligence is fixed and cannot improve. This leads to a desire to look smart and any cost. Fixed mindset learners are often characterized by a tendency to avoid challenges for fear of failing, give up easily, believe that effort is fruitless, usually ignores useful feedback and feels threatened by the success of others. They will often plateau early and achieve less than their full potential.

A Growth Mindset learner believes that intelligence can be developed. These types of learners demonstrate a desire to learn and are characterized by embracing challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, see effort as the path to mastery, learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others. As a result Growth mindset learners reach even higher levels of achievement.

Can you change a fixed mindset to a growth mindset?? and the answer to this is that a learner can if they follow the steps below. One of the strategies outlined by Dr Dweck in influencing mindset is to teach children about the brain, how they learn and about the impact of this mindset on their learning. Even children as young as Year 2 can learn all about the workings of the brain.

There are 4 steps in changing one?s mindset from Fixed to Growth and they are relatively simple.

Step 1: Learn to hear your fixed mindset voice.

Step 2: Recognize that you have a choice.

Step 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.

Step 4: Take the growth mindset action.


	Fixed Mindset	Growth Mindset
Approaching Challenges	Are you sure you can do it? What if you fail? If you don't try, you won't embarrass yourself	Most successful people had failures along the way If I don't try, I automatically fail.
Encountering Setbacks	This would have been easy if you had talent. I told you it was a risk ?now you've shown everyone you can't do it	That's so wrong! Many people who have succeeded took risks and followed their passions, and had setbacks, but they learned from them.
Receiving Criticism	It's not my fault. It's someone else's fault. Who do they think they are criticizing me?	If I don't take responsibility, I can't fix it. They are trying to help me. I need to use their feedback.

These messages are not only for children but adults also. I encourage you to give it a try! It will be worth it!