#dweck

Carol S. Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is a profound exploration of the psychological framework that underpins human achievement and potential. Drawing from decades of research in developmental and social psychology, Dweck unpacks the pivotal role of one’s mindset—either fixed or growth—in shaping how individuals approach challenges, setbacks, and opportunities. What makes this…

[...]

I've seen so many people with this one consuming goal of proving themselves -- in the classroom, in their careers, and in their relationships. Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality, or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel like a winner or a loser?

There's another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you're dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you're secretly worried it's a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development.

This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way -- in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments -- everyone can change and grow through application and experience.

Do people with this mindset believe that anyone can be anything, that anyone with proper motivation or education can become Einstein or Beethoven? No, but they believe that a person's true potential is unknown (and unknowable); that it's impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil, and training.

Decades of Scientific Research that Started a Revolution

Dr. Dweck’s research into growth mindset changed education forever Source: Mindset Works Over 30 years ago, Carol Dweck and her colleagues became interested in students’ attitudes about failure. They noticed that some students rebounded while other students seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck coined the terms fixed…

Growth mindset in an EFL classroom

Teachers at PS/IS 266, a public elementary and middle school in New York City, share the ways they have integrated growth mindset approaches and language into the classroom to help build student persistence. These approaches include establishing structures for peer-to-peer feedback, explicitly discussing the value of mistakes as students learn in order to encourage academic risk-taking, and…