Carol Dweck's research on students' self- theories and how ...

Carol Dweck’s research on students’ self-theories and how they affect motivation,

resilience and aspirations.

Carol Dweck has done research over the last 30 years with children and young adults in the USA

She is particularly interested in how students view themselves as learners

Their self-theory is likely to have a major effect on their self-belief, their motivation to learn and their resilience

Logan – Y5 Bailey Green Primary School

• Fixed Mindset – Entity Learner• Growth Mindset – Incremental

Learner

Entity (Fixed)

I believe that intelligence is fixed I was born bright/not very bright

I don’t like challenge I don’t want to risk looking stupid I am vulnerable

I like easy performance goals and being told I’ve done well I react to failure

by switching off and avoiding the issues

I tend to conform to the low aspirations of my peers

Carol Dweck - Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development, Psychology Press, 1999

About 40% of US students hold an entity theory of ability

Easy praise is not the answer - it makes the situation worseSlide 6

Incremental(Growth)

I believe that intelligence is not fixedMy intelligence can be improved through learning

I thrive on challenge I throw myself into difficult tasks I am self-confident

I have learning goalsI like feedback on my performance so I can improve I react to failure

by trying harder I engage in self-monitoring

I can ignore the low aspirations of my peers

About 40% of US students hold an incremental theory of ability

Carol Dweck - Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development, Psychology Press, 1999

Slide 7

Four Beliefs and Four Truths about Ability, Success, Praise and Confidence

(Carol Dweck – Self-Theories, 1999)

You might think that students who were highly skilled would be the ones to relish a challenge and persevere in the face of setbacks. Instead, many of these students are the most worried about failure, and the most likely to question their ability and to wilt when they hit obstacles

(Leggett, 1985)

You might also think that when students succeed, they are emboldened and energized to seek out more challenging tasks. The truth is that success in itself does little to boost students’ desire for challenge or their ability to cope with setbacks. In fact we can see that it can have quite the opposite effect.

(Diener & Dweck, 1978, 1980)

This is a most cherished belief in our society. One can hardly walk down the street without hearing parents telling their children how smart they are. The hope is that such praise will instil confidence and thereby promote a host of desirable qualities. Far from promoting the hoped for qualities, this type of praise can lead students to fear failure, avoid risks, doubt themselves when they fail and cope poorly with setbacks.

(Mueller & Dweck, 1998)

In a way, it seems only logical to assume that students who have confidence in their intelligence – who clearly believe they are smart – would have nothing to fear from challenge and would be somehow inoculated against the ravages of failure. But many of the most confident individuals do not want their intelligence too stringently tested, and their high confidence is all too quickly shaken when they are confronted with difficulty.

(Henderson & Dweck, 1990; Dweck & Lin, 1998)

Teachers are incremental learners – good role models

Essential that we show them we believe their intelligence is not fixed

We need to make them believe they can improve

We need to ensure they know how to improve

Collaborative classroom environment where pupils take responsibility for their own learning

Pupils understand the Growth Mindset and how it can help them

We need to praise: Effort Strategies that lead towards success Good learning processes (AfL strategies) ResilienceWe should not praise: Intelligence, “cleverness” or talent