Introduction
To
understand what a growth mindset is, a comparison must be done with its
antithesis, a fixed mindset. In a fixed
mindset, one possesses a self-limiting state of cognition where the motivation
to learn is squelched, usually by internally driven thoughts of not being good
enough to succeed. It is a maladaptive
coping skill whereby a person subjects themselves to self-doubt and eventually
quits trying to succeed. A growth mindset
is a state of cognition where one believes that they possess the ability to
control their success in adapting to their environment. It is easy to understand why it is preferable
to foster a growth mindset, but how can this be accomplished? Motivation to learn is subjective, meaning it
is internal and is unable to be measured or influenced by external stimuli. Silver (2017) suggests, “Since motivation is
an inherent personal choice, it is flawed logic to suppose that one individual
can motivate another” (Para 1.). However,
there are ways to encourage self-motivation both inside the classroom and at
home. One strategy to foster growth
mindset that should be adopted is to encourage a love of learning, rather than
celebrating the final score or grade.
Discussion
Intelligence
is described as “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” and as
“a person or being with the ability to acquire and apply knowledge” (Webster’s,
1992, p. 739.). Intelligence has been
measured for over one hundred years by a borage of tests with results forming
the conglomeration known as the “Intelligence Quotient” (IQ). An IQ score is not considered the great measure
of academic success that it once was. Modern
psychologists have gone beyond the IQ tests in determining intelligence. New theories have given rise to what success
is and how it is no longer attached to a number that one is assigned. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at
Stanford University, and author of “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,”
has a theory of motivation which is called Growth Mindset. This is described as a state of cognition
where one’s mind is not only open to learning new ideas through experimentation
but also demonstrates the ability to increase intelligence and general success.
What
is wrong with celebrating those hard-earned A’s on a report card? The answer to this question depends on the
reason for the celebration. A grade only
represents the result, not the journey. According
to Dr. Dweck, when the focus is on the final score rather than the process of
learning, this adversely affects a student’s self-esteem. Making students feel as though they must
maintain high marks to be worthy creates an environment that is caustic to the
personality. This causes undue stress. Consistent high achievement is difficult to
maintain and in the student’s mind, they worry about “what happens if I don’t
get a 100% in my class?” In speaking
about her daughter, Siyne Whitson (2011) in Psychology Today explained “My self-confident little go-getter told me she "wasn't smart
anymore" and even "hated herself" after getting one item wrong
on a math test” (para 3.).
This
is especially true with school age children as they fit into Dr. Erik Erikson’s
psychosocial life stage of industry versus inferiority. Whitson (2011) explains “Talk about being overwhelmed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and
hearing--her plummeting sense of self-worth was devastating to us both” (para 4.). Erikson theorized that in
each life stage, humans are presented with a life task they must successfully
resolve in order to move onto the next stage of the life skills, psychosocial continuum. Any failure during any stage results in being
stuck at that level until said task has been resolved. The implication of Dr. Erikson’s theory is
that there is no way of knowing where on the life stage continuum college
students are. If they are stuck at any
earlier phase, this can further impair his or her successes in school and
life.
This is a factual account, of family
member number, one as told by Ronald H. McCann, (uncle “Ron”) was born out of
wedlock to a single mother in 1939. Ron
was frequently told by his mother and grandmother that he was smart and
intelligent as they tried to encourage him to study. The two ladies doted on Ron’s ability to
receive high marks in school, which came with ease. When his mother later married, Ron became the
oldest child of five. He read books
constantly, however, he dropped out of high school and never attended
college. He stumbled into a busboy job
in Palm Springs, CA as a young adult and never ventured beyond that. Regarding his perceived intelligence, Ron
stated frequently “I’m not smart, I’m just well read” (R. H. McCann, personal
communication, May 17, 1982). He never
learned to drive, as he was afraid of trying, this made him dependent on others
for transportation. During his early retirement
years, his social security check was a total of $400 a month, this fact kept
him dependent on others for room and board for the remainder of his life. He never married and died alone at age 64 believing
that he was intellectually inferior. Uncle
Ron demonstrated the fixed mindset cognitive pattern as demonstrated by the fact
that he firmly believed his brain was incapable of learning regardless of his above
average IQ score. His personality traits
were ones that demonstrated fear in trying new tasks, fear of failure, and a
belief of “I am what I am and that will never change.” Human nature dictates that when goals are
easily achieved, the challenge is no longer rewarding, therefore the motivation
to succeed decreases. It is possible
that if Ron had the proper encouragement on his problem-solving abilities,
rather than constantly being told how smart he was, he might have experienced
greater success in life in general.
With
a growth mindset, the competitiveness of academic success is removed from the
equation, resulting in the restoration of a normative adaptation to the
learning milieu and an increase in the desire to learn. Silver (2017) suggests, “If they believe
their achievements are grounded in internal factors (eg. their efforts, choices,
strategies) they tend to work harder, try longer, overcome greater obstacles
and recover more quickly from failed attempts” (para 3.). Silver further explains, “The belief that one
can largely control her destiny is the building block for growth mindset”
(2017, para 3.). Self-motivation is the key to any action.
Family
member number two: Laura N. Bone, female
age 30 born to a married couple (myself and Bryan K. Bone) with one older
child. While in utero, Laura was
diagnosed with bilateral cerebral cysts measuring less than ten millimeters in
diameter. The prognosis, given by the obstetrician,
varied from “normal to mild mental retardation” (G. Bauer, personal
communication, May 16, 1989). Further
amniotic testing revealed no chromosomal abnormalities. By all accounts Laura had a normal intellect,
reaching most of her developmental milestones as expected except for speech,
which was mildly delayed. I noticed that
Laura could not read at the same age as could her older brother although they both
were read to and encouraged to read nightly. When she consistently failed basic reading
tests and began to show signs of frustration it was suggested, by the school
nurse and her teacher, that Laura be tested for learning disabilities. Laura was diagnosed with a learning disability,
which was in information processing, during the second quarter of first grade. Further testing showed an average IQ score,
and she remained on an “Individualized Education Plan” (IEP) for the remainder
of her school years. In the beginning,
Laura’s classes were 80% “Learning Disabled” (LD) and 20% regular; these
eventually evened out to 50% LD and 50% regular while in Jr. high; and in high
school it reversed to 20% LD and 80% regular.
The educational focus was not on her grades so much as on her learning experiences,
as short-term memory issues made academic achievement difficult for her. Laura learned to drive; graduated high school;
attended a certification program for nursing assistant and currently holds a
steady job. She demonstrates the growth
mindset cognitive pattern as demonstrated by her motivation to overcome much in
her life. She does not believe that she
is academically inferior and enjoys learning new skills, as she now performs
quality assurance for her present employer.
Conclusion
Using the case studies provided, the
impact of damage to a person’s wellbeing and motivation to succeed when the
focus is on the final grade has been adequately represented. The usefulness of rewarding a student’s efforts
in problem solving and to give their effort to build self-motivation has also
been demonstrated. It should not be a
surprise that encouraging students to do their best, even without considering
stages of psychosocial development or learning abilities, can have a tremendous
positive influence. Increasing
intelligence is like bodybuilding, in that when the mind is not challenged, it
will not make new neural connections, therefore it is important to challenge
the brain by fostering a love of learning.
Providing a nurturing environment where a student can feel free to
experiment and practice autonomy with problem solving skills without prejudice
is a great teaching plan that can be implemented at any education level.
References
Intelligence (1992) Websters New
Universal Unabridged Dictionary. Avenel,
NJ. Barnes and Nobel
Ruszkiewicz, J. J. (2019).
How to write anything: A guide and reference. (4th ed.). Boston, MA.
Bedford St. Martin’s
Silver, D. (2017, Jan 16). 5 Tips using growth mindset to foster
motivation. Corwin Connect. Retrieved from https://corwin-connect.com/2017/01/5-tips-using-growth-mindset-foster-motivation/
Whitson, S.
(2011, Dec 19). Fostering a "growth mindset:" 7 Ways
to nurture your gifted child. Psychology
Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/passive-aggressive-diaries/201112/fostering-growth-mindset-7-ways-nurture-your-gifted-child
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