Does it truly improve child outcomes?

© 2008 – 2024 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved

A growth mindset can encourage students to tackle challenges, engage in trial and error, and learn. Yet programs designed to promote this mindset haven’t always translated into higher student achievement. Why not? I think we need to recognize that the growth mindset isn’t a shortcut to success. To build our skills, we also need strong motivation, effective learning strategies, and follow-through.

Here is a look at the research, and some suggestions for helping students reach their full potential.

Mindsets: Can we improve cognitive ability, or is it fixed?

Some people take the view that intelligence is innate and fixed — that individuals are born with certain abilities, and that these abilities remain stable throughout the lifespan. Some also believe that intellectual performance — what we achieve with our raw ability — is pre-determined.