What is a Growth Mindset?

Growth mindset refers to a learning theory developed by Dr Carol Dweck. It revolves around the belief that you can improve intelligence, ability and performance. The opposite, a fixed mindset, refers to the belief that a person’s talents are set in stone. Years of research have shown that mindset is malleable. This means that by helping students to develop a growth mindset, we can help them to learning more effective and efficient.

Advantages of a Growth Mindset

There is a lot of peer-reviewed research on the pros of encouraging a growth mindset in pupils. These include:

  • They will seek out better feedback and persist for longer
  • They cope better with transitions and develop better self-regulation
  • It reduces stress and aggression in students as well as increasing well-being and emotional functioning
  • It improves self-esteem, learning orientation and reduces helplessness
  • It’s linked with pro-social behaviours

How to Develop a Growth Mindset

  • There is no set way on to develop a growth mindset in pupils. Areas that may act as a good starting point include:
  • Types of Praise – praising the process, their effort and individual development over the result. Encouraging our pupils to ask for and act on feedback. Encouraging a sense of curiosity
  • Level of Expectation – having high, challenging but realistic expectations of their performance and communicating this to our pupils.
  • Positive Group Norms – creating a growth culture that values learning, education and development
  • Helpful Self-Talk – Teaching our pupils to manage how they talk to themselves and to do so in a positive, helpful and energised way.

Key Aspects of Growth Mindset at St Thomas’, Halliwell CE Primary School:

  • We celebrate making mistakes – we can learn from them;
  • We never give up – perseverance is the key if we are to succeed;
  • We learn from each other;
  • We don’t compare ourselves with others;
  • We challenge ourselves and take risks;
  • We remember that our brains are making new connections and growing all the time.

For further information on how to encourage confident and resilient learners at home, have a look at some of the links below.