"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Mindsets in Learning

In this video podcast, author and professor Carol Dweck is interviewed about her research into growth and fixed mindsets. She argues that students who believe that intelligence is a fixed trait and putting themselves at a disadvantage and will be unable to learn and adapt as well as those who believe in growth learning. People who believe in growth learning, on the other hand, believe that knowledge is something that can be gained constantly and actively seek to learn something new. Intellect is not a fixed characteristic and can be improved over time if one makes the effort.

She mentions a study in which two groups of students were taught in the fixed and growth mindset manner and those educated in the growth mindset improved their grades significantly. Although teachers were unaware which students were involved in which group, the results pointed clearly to the advantages in growth mindsets.

As an educator, this lesson is important to me most of all. After the first few years as our lesson plans are set and become reusable year and year, teachers are tempted to become apathetic and not improve upon their subject matter. By making the effort to continually learn, our brains will continue to develop and hopefully help us become better teachers by increasing our knowledge of our subject matter and the world around us. Thus by following the growth mindset, teachers should be encouraged to remain curious, and to remember that just because they teach it doesn't mean that they cannot learn.