Growth Mindset

LEARNING MINDSETS & GROWTH MINDSET

DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT:

The unit will deal with the topic of certain beliefs, known as learning mindsets, and particularly, with that of growth mindset beliefs, which lie at the heart of school learning and have been proved to impact on academic performance.

OBJECTIVES:

Reflect on own implicit beliefs concerning intelligence in terms of holding an entity theory versus an incremental theory of intelligence (or a “fixed” vs. a “growth” mindset)
Learn about four beliefs (self-efficacy beliefs, the feeling of belonging to a learning community, the perception of the relevance of school work and a growth mindset) that research has shown to impact positively on student learning and school achievement
Learn about the differences between an entity and an incremental theory of intelligence and the implications for teaching, learning, and school achievement

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this unit the learners will have...

... become aware of and reflected on their beliefs concerning the fixed or growth nature of intelligence;
... received information on conclusions from research regarding how holding certain learning beliefs influences school performance; and
... become aware of teaching strategies that promote a growth mindset
... learned notions of neuroscience concerning how the mind works and changes functionally and physically

APPLIED METHODOLOGIES:

Socratic questioning to foster critical thinking
Cooperative learning as activities will place special emphasis on the sharing and discussion of ideas, experiences, insights, etc.
Teacher-fronting lecturing when information is provided on learning beliefs and a growth mindset

REFERENCES:

Dweck, C. (2017). Mindset-Updated Edition: Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential. New York: Ballatine Books.
Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., & Beechum, N.O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become learners. The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. Retrieved from https://consortium.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Noncognitive%20Report.pdf