Literature Review: How Adults Can Influence a Child's Mindset

The following literature review is of Kyla Haimovitz and Carol Dweck's work titled, "The Origins of Children's Growth and Fixed Mindsets:  New Research and a New Proposal."  This article was published in Child Development in December of 2017.  The work focuses on how parents and teachers with a growth mindset can instill a growth mindset in children.

           The study begins by reviewing what a growth mindset is compared to a fixed mindset.  The authors indicate that the different mindsets are based around two different goals. Growth mindset is focused around the learning process, whereas a fixed mindset is focused around validating one's own ability (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1850).  The article continues to cover previous research findings that support the evidence that having a growth mindset leads to further academic perseverance and success.  Finally in the introduction, the conversation turns towards how a growth mindset can be socialized within the everyday context of a child's environment.  The authors indicate that although it is easily assumed that teachers and parents who demonstrate growth mindsets themselves will pass it along to children, however research has found that this is not always the case (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1850).   

           One way that adults can instill a mindset into a child is through their response to success.  In one study where children did well on a fifth grade math assessment, adults were instructed to give different types of feedback.  One group was instructed to give "person praise" such as "you must be smart at these problems."  Another group was prompted to give "process praise" such as "You must have worked hard at these problems."  It was found that students who received the person praise were delighted about their intelligence, however they were more likely to give up when more difficult problems were presented later, demonstrating a fixed mindset.  Children who received process praise were shown to keep trying and be more successful when problems became more difficult because their confidence was based in how hard they worked, demonstrating a growth mindset ( Haimovitz, 2017, p.1851).

             So why do adults use person praise at all?  Well, the authors explain that many parents and teachers choose to use person praise to boost self-confidence in children, especially those who show signs of low self-esteem (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1852).  This can backfire, as children who struggle with self-esteem may feel better in the moment, however when a challenge is presented, they again fall into shame about their poor performance.  Along the same lines, some adults choose to praise effort more than outcomes.  Although praising effort is important, the authors argue that doing do teaches the children that they do not need to succeed at a task and may not seek out more effective strategies for the future.

            It is just as important to praise the process when the outcome is failure, as it is to praise the process when children are successful.   The authors support that parents often believe failure is either motivating or demotivating (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1853).  This means that some parents believe that failures can be motivational through reflection of the process and can set children up for success in the future, whereas some parents treat failures as a hurtful part of the learning process.  A good example of this was a study of how children responded when asked what do their parents care about in regards to school performance.  A growth mindset response would be, "My parents care more about how hard I work than the grades I get."  I fixed mindset response would be, "My parents care that I am on the honor roll" (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1853).   The authors then reiterate the importance of how a parent responses to a child who brings home a failing grade.  To instill a growth mindset, a parent should practice asking the child on their work habits, what strategies are currently being used, and help their child make a plan to use new strategies in the future.  Finally,  the process of normalizing struggles can have a great impact on the future success of the child.

            What can a teacher do to promote a growth mindset within the classroom?  One way to promote a growth mindset is to make sure to check in with individual students to recognize their progress regardless of academic levels.  Rewarding students who finish quickly and always show the best work in the class promotes a fixed mindset in all of the children (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1853).   Instead of focusing always on the outcome, teachers need to focus on the learning process.  Instead of praising a child for the right answer, ask students to reflect on their thinking process towards solving a problem, regardless of whether they got the correct answer.  Students should be given opportunities to share their thinking with others so that the process of learning is emphasized.  Students should also be given chances to revise their work so they can reflect on their own process towards success (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1854). 

           What should a teacher avoid doing when trying to promote a growth mindset?  Grouping students who struggle has negative impacts on attaining a growth mindset, therefore tracking should be avoided when possible.  Students benefit from different levels of thinking when the thinking is shared.  Also, teachers should avoid lowering the expectations for students who struggle, as this can communicate to the student that the teacher does not believe he or she can accomplish the original task (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1854).

          Creating a growth mindset classroom environment takes some focused effort as a teacher.  To do so, teachers should have classroom discussions on how struggle and frustration are natural and useful, as well as why they are useful.  Teachers should instill a team effort, meaning that the teacher and the students are all responsible for everyone's learning in the classroom.  Relaying a message that all the student needs to do is work hard and study better will not promote a growth mindset, as it focused only on solving the problem, bypassing the process of how a problem can be solved (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1854).

            How can growth mindsets be promoted throughout a community?  The authors share the story of schools throughout the country that have adopted an educational model based in growth mindset, called expeditionary learning (EL).  In these schools, students are focused on individual learning goals and their individual processes of learning.  Each school holds a celebration of learning in which students share their quality work and learning experiences with community members.  They celebrate their learning mistakes and share with the community how the mistakes lead to successful outcomes.  These practices may help to normalize growth mindset within families and communities (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1855).

          In conclusion, the authors advocate for adults to focus more on coaching children through processes after successes and failures, rather than simply focusing on motivation strategies.  This is especially true for students who struggle in the classroom.  A child's belief will usually predict the outcome of behavior, so it is important to start with changing their beliefs about what they can accomplish. The authors argue that this shift in responding to children takes practice and professional development.  Many teachers are under pressure to teach to the standard rather than teach for understanding.  Standardized testing can lead to situations where teachers do not feel they have the time to teach practices that promote a growth mindset, however research has shown that students with a growth mindset often perform higher on college admissions tests.  The authors also argue that academic pressure can lead to a number of mental and emotional health issues in children (Haimovitz, 2017, p. 1857).  They conclude with a call to action for policies to consider the importance of emphasizing growth within the educational system in order for all students to obtain and experience high quality education.

Implications to my study:

           This article was amazing to read!  I even told my husband that I wanted him to read it for future parenting skills!  I already understood how beneficial it is for students and teachers to adopt a growth mindset, but this article helps me understand how to instill a growth mindset in children.  It also emphasized the importance of how parents, as well as teachers, respond to successes and failures in children. 

            The biggest influence this has on my research study is how to guide my responses for children who are struggling in math.  It gives me the opportunity to practice these strategies, such as checking in with individual students on their growth, asking more open ended questions for students to review their strategies, and ask students to explain their thinking.  

             As I was writing this review, I was sure to include all of the teaching tips that I plan on using throughout my research study.  I was also cognizant of including the "don'ts" of teaching.   One pitfall I can definitely relate to is the urge to use person based praise with a student who is struggling with low self-esteem.  It is also difficult to refrain from saying "You are so smart!" when I truly want to acknowledge a student's "gifts."  I know it will take a lot of re-framing and practice, but I believe that in doing so, it will not only benefit my research study, but make me a more effective teacher for years to come.

References:

Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2017). The Origins of Children's Growth and Fixed Mindsets: New Research and a New Proposal. Child Development, (6), 1849. doi:10.1111/cdev.12955