How Mindsets Impact Learning

Students who believe that their abilities and intelligence can grow and change are able to shift their mindset (fixed vs growth). This literature review evaluates how mindsets impact both teaching and student learning. A teacher’s role in providing feedback and implementing strategies to help build a growth mindset classroom culture plays a significant part to this review. Many studies have taken place over the years that bring about some opposing viewpoints, but after significant review, most of the data from studies has indicated positive profound impacts on how mindsets impact learning. Future research suggests to continue studies on how teachers provide feedback, the group size, and teaching practices. MINDSETS AND LEARNING 4 How Mindsets Impact Learning Mindset is a concept that recently has been increasingly visible in classrooms all over the world. More specifically, the concept of growth mindset has taken the education world by storm. Student and teacher mindsets impact learning (Dweck, 2006). There are two types of mindsets that everyone experiences. The first type is a growth mindset, when you believe that your skills and intelligence can grow and change (Dweck, 2006). The second type is a fixed mindset, when you believe that there is no room for growth and your skills and intelligence are set (Dweck, 2006). Before the terms growth mindset and fixed mindset were coined, the mindset concept was once known as the implicit theories of intelligence; entity versus incremental theory (Davis, Burnette, Allison, & Stone, 2010). The entity theory or what is now referred to as the fixed mindset, is the belief that a person’s ability, skills, and intelligence are fixed traits. The incremental theory, or better known today as the growth mindset, is the belief that a person’s ability, skills, and intelligence can be improved. Dweck (2006), a distinguished Standford University psychologist, spent decades researching the achievement and success of people, which led to her clever idea of mindsets. This idea has led schools to take on this concept and instill the growth mindset in classrooms. Dweck’s research has proven how powerful the mindset is for success and achievement (2006). She -also took on a special interest on how mindsets impact learning. It is important for teachers and students to understand the various mindsets and how they can impact both teaching and learning within the classroom. According to Dweck (2006), learning behaviors are influenced when students understand their mindsets. As educators, it is critical to help students understand that their brains are malleable and can be stretched. That is, MINDSETS AND LEARNING 5 students understand that they have the ability to change and grow. Teachers can build a growth mindset culture in their classroom that helps students develop and approach learning that will lead to achievement and success (Robinson, 2017). Teaching about brain development and neuroplasticity, creating study tools that incorporate active learning methods, normalizing mistakes and failure, reframing language when communicating expectations and feedback, practicing positive self-talk, using data and reflection to set growth-oriented goals, and involving students in setting goals and tracking progress in order to invest them in their own learning process are all growth mindset strategies that teachers can implement in their classrooms (Robinson, 2017). The concept of growth mindset has been around for decades. Over recent years though, teachers and schools have taken on this trend within the world of education. The growth mindset provides teachers and students with the skills to grow as learners (Dweck, 2006). The purpose of this literature review is to show how mindsets impact learning. The research will address the power of the growth mindset, how critical it is for students and teachers to understand their mindsets, how educators can influence student mindset, and suggestions for teachers in their classroom. MINDSETS AND LEARNING 6 Review of the Literature Mindset is not a new concept in education. In fact, decades ago, it was known as implicit theories of intelligence (Davis et al., 2010). Two different mindsets that came about through the implicit theories of intelligence were the entity theory and the incremental theory. The entity theory can be described as the belief that your skills and intelligence cannot change or grow (Guthsall, 2013). The incremental theory is the opposite with beliefs that skills and intelligence can develop and improve (Guthsall, 2013). Leading researcher on this trend, Dweck, developed the terms that are more familiar in education today as the fixed and growth mindset. Dweck describes these mindsets as two different worlds. The first world is a world of traits that are fixed (Dweck, 2006). The world of a fixed mindset can lead to many different thoughts. When someone is in a fixed mindset, they focus more on what people think and how they look. When mistakes or failures happen, people with a fixed mindset do not see that as an opportunity, they see that as a setback (Dweck, 2006). Similar to failure and mistakes, within a fixed mindset effort is seen as a negative thing. People often think they are not as smart when more effort is needed. The second world that Dweck describes is a world of traits that are changing qualities (Dweck, 2006). That is, people with a growth mindset, believe that their qualities can be stretched. It’s the belief that there is always something new that can be learned. When in a growth mindset, failures and mistakes are used as a learning opportunity. Effort is looked at as a way to improve or get better. The power behind the mindsets, is that they can be changed. Mindset studies have shown how the fixed mindset versus the growth mindset has had an impact on learning throughout the years (Davis et al., 2010; Dweck, 2006; Dweck & Yeager, 2019; Hochanadel & Finamore, 2013). Dweck (2019) mentions that even after 45 years of MINDSETS AND LEARNING 7 research on the growth mindset, there is still too little known about how to best develop a growth mindset in people. Many studies have examined how learning is impacted by feedback/praise, performance goals, motivation, mistakes, effort, challenges, and failures. Feedback and praise. Educators often do not realize the impact that feedback and praise can have on student mindsets. Dweck’s research and study demonstrated the difference in student mindset based on praise and feedback students received. She and Claudia Mueller studied a group of 5 grade students by giving them a puzzle task (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). They divided the students into two groups. After finishing a task successfully, group one received praise and feedback based on their intelligence and ability (Dweck, 2006). While the praise and feedback motivated them to do well, they would choose an easier task to continue receiving that same praise and feedback. This played a role on their view of their intelligence and abilities, and their main focus was on looking good. The second group also succeeded with their first task in the puzzle, but their feedback and praise focused on their effort (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). What Mueller and Dweck (1998) noticed was the difference between the group’s reactions to the tasks. The second group chose more challenging tasks because of their effort-praised feedback. This study showed that when students are given praise and feedback based on their effort, their learning and motivation is impacted. Not only are students’ mindsets impacted by praise and feedback, but so are teachers’ mindsets. Rattan, Good, and Dweck (2012) studied educators that held a fixed mindset (entity theory) and how they responded to their abilities versus those that held a growth mindset (incremental theory). Data indicated that in some situations, teachers with a fixed mindset provide praise and feedback that does more harm than good for students and their growth. In MINDSETS AND LEARNING 8 these situations, teachers were not intentionally trying to have a negative impact on student outcomes, but because of the lack of understanding of their own fixed mindsets, feedback and praise provided often had characteristics of what one would expect with a fixed mindset. An example from their study found that teachers with good intentions on providing feedback and praise often discouraged their students by providing comforting feedback that let their students to believe they could not grow in their skills and abilities (Rattan et al., 2012). Comforting feedback can be provided; however, it needs to be provided in a way that encourages students to improve. When receiving praise or feedback, students can react differently based on their mindset (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). When students are in a fixed mindset and receive feedback or praise, they often get defensive. Students have also shown to take feedback and praise personal when in a fixed mindset. While in a growth mindset, students will look at praise and feedback as something positive. Students will use that praise and feedback as a learning opportunity and as a way to grow in their learning. The way in which feedback is given is critical and impacts teaching and learning. Performance goals. Goal setting can have a profound effect on mindsets. When students with a growth mindset engage in setting their own performance goals, their main concern is about improving their learning and attaining their goals (Smith et al., 2018). Because they want to reach their goals and show improvement, they focus on the process of getting better and reaching their performance goal. Students in a fixed mindset often also want to reach their goals, however, their mindset is more focused on how close they are performing to the end goal. They become performance driven and not focused on the process of getting better. Teachers that hold a growth mindset, are more likely to be goal oriented which creat