Changing Mindsets, Motivating Students Gerald Herbert/AP For more on our series of Professional Development webinars go to www.edweek.org/go/pdwebinars
Liana Heitin Associate editor of Education Week Teacher www.edweek.org/tm www.teachersourcebook.org
Featured Guests Carol Dweck, Ph.D. author of Mindset: The New Science of Success, is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and recently won the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association the highest honor in psychology.
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Changing Mindsets, Motivating Students Carol Dweck Professor, Stanford University Author of Mindset Education Week Webinar February 16, 2012
Yet a few years later many students have turned away from learning. And many of the well-meaning things we do make it worse.
How do we make sure our students remain motivated to learn?
Mindsets Matter Fixed Mindset: Intelligence is a fixed trait Growth Mindset: Intelligence is a malleable quality; a potential that can be developed
Mindsets Matter Which mindset is correct?
The Plastic Brain
News About The Adolescent Brain (Ramsden et al., 2011, Nature) Tracked students over adolescence Many showed large changes in IQ-test performance Linked to changes in density of neurons in relevant parts of the brain
Making Students Smarter: Jaeggi, Buschkuel, Jonides, & Perrig, 2008
Alfred Binet
Mindsets Matter Do students hold the same mindset in different areas? Can mindsets be changed?
How Do Mindsets Work?
Transition to 7 th Grade Followed hundreds of students across difficult transition Measured their mindsets Measured their attitudes toward learning Monitored their grades in math for two years
1. Fixed Mindset: LOOK SMART AT ALL COSTS Growth Mindset: LEARN AT ALL COSTS
Looking Smart vs. Learning Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007 Fixed Mindset Student: The main thing I want when I do my school work is to show how good I am at it. Growth Mindset Student: It s much more important for me to learn things in my classes than it is to get the best grades. Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007
2. Beliefs About Effort Fixed Mindset: Effort is bad IT SHOULD COME NATURALLY To tell the truth, when I work hard at my school work it makes me feel like I m not very smart. Growth Mindset: Effort is good WORK HARD, EFFORT IS KEY The harder you work at something, the better you ll be at it.
Do Geniuses Work-- Or Does it Just Come Naturally? MARIE CURIE
3. Resilience: In the face of setbacks Fixed Mindset: It s about me Hide Mistakes Conceal Deficiencies Growth Mindset: It s part of learning Capitalize On Mistakes Confront Deficiencies
After Setback Fixed Mindset: I d spend less time on this subject from now on. I would try not to take this subject ever again. I would try to cheat on the next test. Growth Mindset: I would work harder in this class from now on. I would spend more time studying for the tests. Blackwell, Trzesniewski and Dweck, 2007
Math Grades Math Grades in Adolescents Blackwell, Dweck, & Trzesniewski (2007) 77.0 76.5 76.0 75.5 Growth Mindset 75.0 74.5 74.0 Fixed Growth 73.5 73.0 Fixed Mindset 72.5 72.0 Entering Academic Year Fall Year 1 Spring Year 1 Fall Year 2 Spring Year 2
Fixed Mindset provides no recipe for recovering from failures or deficiencies: Giving up, retreating to comfort zone Blaming others Trying to feel superior
Rebuilding Self-Esteem After Setbacks Students failed a hard test Afterwards could look at tests of other students. Did they look at students who had performed better or those who had performed worse?
Pre-Medical Students Grant & Dweck, 2003
Organic Chemistry Grades
The Fixed Mindset Turns Students Away From Learning Mangels, Butterfield, Lamb, Good & Dweck, 2006
The Fixed Mindset Turns Students Away From Learning Question What is the capital of Australia? Ability-Relevant Feedback Person types answer * or * Correct answer 1.5 s 1 s 1.5 s 2 s Learning-Relevant Feedback
Where Do Mindsets Come From? Our language conveys what we believe and what we value Mueller & Dweck, 1998; Kamins & Dweck,1 999; Cimpian, Arce, Markman, & Dweck, 2007.
Non-Verbal IQ Test
Messages About What We Value Intelligence Praise: Wow, that s a really good score. You must be smart at this. Effort (Process) Praise: Wow, that s a really good score. You must have tried really hard. Control Group: Wow, that s a really good score.
Intelligence vs. Effort Praise Mindset: Fixed vs. Growth Goals: Looking smart vs. Learning After Difficult Trial: Confidence/ Enjoyment/Performance
Lying Students who misrepresented their scores 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 Intelligence Control Effort Type of Praise Given
New Study With Babies (Gunderson et al., 2011) Observed mothers praise to their baby over a 2-year period (1-3 years old). Measured the child s mindset and desire for challenge 5 years later (8 years old). Process praise growth mindset and greater desire for challenge
What to Praise Effort, struggle, persistence despite setbacks: Great effort! Who had a terrific struggle? Great persistence! There were so many hard things and you worked you way through them. Boy, were you growing your neurons!
What to Praise But not just effort also strategies, choices, choosing difficult tasks Wow, nice strategies. You kept trying different things until it worked! Great choices! You chose a nice hard task. You ll learn a lot!
What to Praise Effort, struggle, persistence despite setbacks, but not just effort Strategies, choices Choosing difficult tasks All in the context of learning and improving
Yesterday Praise: Look, you got an A without really working. You re really good at math! You did that so quickly and easily. That s impressive!
Tomorrow You got an A without working. An A is nice, but you must not be learning much. You did that so quickly and easily. I m sorry I wasted your time. Let s do something you can learn from.
The Power of Yet I m not good at... I can t do... I tried but it didn t work
Changing Mindsets
A Mindset Workshop Control Group: 8 sessions of great study skills. Growth Mindset Group: 8 sessions of study skills + the growth mindset.
Math Grades (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck) 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.5 Control BraInology 2.4 2.3 2.2 Before After
Percent Showing Increased Motivation 30 25 27 20 15 10 9 5 0 Control Growth
Medical School Entrance Exams
Mindset Instructions Before MCAT Exam 20 17.5 15 12.5 10 7.5 (Aronson) 5 Fixed Growth 25.9% increase
5 Computer Modules Teachers Guide www.brainology.us
The Brainology approach www.brainology.us
In Brainology, students meet Chris and Dahlia Copyright 2008 Brainology, LLC. All rights reserved. www.brainology.us
Guided by the Brain Orb, they take on a series of quests to understand how their brains work.
They visit the Brain Lab
where Dr. Cerebrus shows them how the brain works
and develops by growing new connections when you learn.
They learn new brain-based study strategies
write reflections in their online e-journal
use the online Brain Book to look up information Copyright 2008 Brainology, LLC. All rights reserved. www.brainology.us
and use the Map to navigate the program. Copyright 2008 Brainology, LLC. All rights reserved. www.brainology.us
At the end of the program, they earn the BrainMaster certificate. www.brainology.us
Brainology Scotland: Increased reading achievement; attitudes toward setbacks; life satisfaction. U.S.: Increase grades; classroom conduct and engagement
Have you changed your mind about anything? My favorite thing from Brainology is the neurons part I always picture them when I m in school Yes I imagine neurons making connections in my brain and I feel like I am learning something.
Summary Embrace learning and growth Understand the role of effort in creating talent Maintain confidence and effectiveness in the face challenges and setbacks and it can be taught.
One Final Note A Growth Mindset for Educators Too As educators, we must constantly be learning and improving. If we don t fulfill our potential as teachers how can we make sure our students fulfill their potential?
Thank you! www.brainology.us
Reaching All Learners: Tools and Strategies for Teaching Diverse-Needs Students Available On-Demand Making Differentiated Instruction Work for You Feb. 1, 2012 Vicki Gibson, Ph. D., author of Differentiated Instruction: Grouping for Success. Ms. Gibson is the chair and president of Gibson Hasbrouck & Associates. Katie Hull Sypnieski, English and English Language Development teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif. Gerald Herbert/AP www.edweek.org/go/pdwebinars
Reaching All Learners: Tools and Strategies for Teaching Diverse-Needs Students Available On-Demand Reading Interventions: When Core Instruction Isn t Enough Feb. 7, 2012 Amanda M. VanDerHeyden, Ph.D., private consultant and researcher, coauthor of Essentials of Response to Intervention Jeanne Wanzek, Ph.D., assistant professor at Florida State University and on the research faculty at the Florida Center for Reading Research Gerald Herbert/AP www.edweek.org/go/pdwebinars