Thoughts on a "Growth Mindset"

"Growth Mindset", measuring a growing mind. Source: Post by David Hochheiser, Edutopia

Believing you can improve...
I have encountered the concept of growth mindset before, but I didn't know who proposed it, and I had not heard about it in her own words. When I first became a tutor at OU, I was taught about Carol Dweck's growth mindset as not just a tool for students to use in challenging academic settings, but also the way in which we were supposed to approach tutoring. Focusing on helping students progress, instead of simply succeed has led to really effective tutoring strategies, including Socratic questioning (instead of simply giving an answer, you lead the person to the answer with a series of questions). Honestly, as a student, I don't always like when people use Socratic questioning on me, especially when I feel like not even the parts of the problem make sense. But these kinds of strategies force you to find your own way towards a solution, and later on, you can use that same process to answer challenging questions by yourself. And it encourages a growth mindset because people then learn to improve on their own. They start to believe they can accomplish hard tasks if they put in a little more effort than before. Again improving becomes a process, step by step, and not simply a goal.

Although I think it is definitely a step towards better academic settings, I don't agree with all aspects of growth mindset. Alfie Kohn summarised many of my issues with the growth mindset theory, but I did think his critique seemed a little harsh. I have seen 'growth mindset' students succeed better- and often happier- than those who don't think they'll ever get better, especially if it doesn't come easy right away. I don't think that the problem with how children learn lies with them or simply their disposition. The problem should also be on the education system to better reach children's interests. As Mr Kohn points out, if we focus on progress alone, how do we know children are actually invested in the material they learn? I think a better learning environment would focus more on cultivating curiosity, and helping children find topics that they actually enjoy and want to learn about. 

Is it enough to just believe that you can improve or do we need something more? I believe more in the power of curiosity and sparking it for topics in school, so that the return is something far greater than learning for a grade in the 'now'. Instead, I think it becomes an investment in learning for the future. 

Curiosity and the Cat. Source: Flickr 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Introduction to a Bajan Animal Enthusiast

Image
Hi everyone! :) My name is Daana Roach, and I am a Chemical Biosciences (Pre-Vet) major with minors in Psychology and Biological Conservation. With this odd combination, I am (hopefully) going to pursue a programme in Veterinary Conservation Medicine after I graduate. I want to work with endangered species and in conservation efforts, especially concerning marine life or big cats of the genus Panthera : Amur leopard ( Panthera pardus orientalis ), listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Source : Wikimedia Commons Psychology isn't necessarily tied to any of these plans, but I really enjoy it. I grew up in Barbados , an island in the Southeast of the Caribbean, and finished up secondary school in Canada before coming to OU. I may  be biased, but Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the region. It's 166 sq miles big (or small maybe haha), and has a population of about approximately 300, 000. Personal image taken of Miami Beach at sunset, Barbados. 
Read more

Week 5 Story: "Sita, Warrior of the Earth"

Image
A warrior of the Earth. Source : Flickr Let me tell you the version of the story they never tell. I was not just the daughter of the Earth, I was her warrior. At the time of my birth, my parents believed I was only a gift from the goddess. Some called her Bhudevi, others called her Bhumi, but while growing up in the kingdom of Videha, she was only known to me as Mother Earth. There were times I thought I felt her presence with me, watching and guiding with a gentle care. When I was very young, I had a keen interest in weaponry and martial arts. I felt as though I was stitched together with fight in my bones, a quick wit and sharp tongue as my aid when physical strength failed me. Although my father forbade me from learning the art of war publicly, he allowed one of his trusted soldiers to train me privately. It was only so lucky that he had seen the incident with Shiva's bow.  My sister and I had been playing nearby when our ball flew under the resting place of the sacre
Read more