Growth Mindset Analysis

     This post will be dedicated to exploring the idea of a growth mindset.

    My impression of a growth mindset is viewing your intellect and intellectual capability as something that is constantly in flux. It exists in opposition to a fixed mindset which relates to the belief that one can only learn or perform well in specific areas. thease areas are predetermined and thus beyond our control. An example of a growth mindset is when a student is performing poorly in a math class, someone with a growth mindset will say "I just don't understand yet" but they act under the assumption that they can eventually learn. however, a student with a fixed mindset will say that they are simply bad at math and they will never be successful in math because that is just how they are.  

    I have heard of this concept before. In fact, I teach on this topic in the Gateway to College Learning course that I serve as a Peer Teaching Assistant for here at the University of Oklahoma. I personally try to be as flexible as I can when it comes to growth and understanding. anything I don't know, I believe I can learn. I love a challenge in that way. Throughout my time at OU I have learned so much more about my field of study than I thought I ever could. It is encouraging to look back and see how far I have come and how much I could learn. Im not too concerned about any of my classes this semester but I am worried about whether I have the mental capacity to go to grad school. I think one of the most persuasive oppositions to this theory is data surrounding attitudes. I think there is so much to be said about a kid's attitude toward learning, they might have the same mental capabilities but if a student has varying attitudes toward learning only the motivated will succeed. 

Comments

  1. Laura GibbsAugust 14, 2020 at 7:44 AM

    I'm always so glad to hear when students have already encountered growth mindset: wonderful! And just a quick note about grad school:
    READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN now. Read, and then read some more.
    And then: READ SOME MORE.
    The more you read, the more you will arrive at graduate school with questions you are really curious and excited about, along with some idea of how to find the answer.
    The answer might not be in the books... but the books are how you will get to the answer for yourself! I had a mixed experience in graduate school but reading TONS OF BOOKS was the best part of it, at least for me. :-)

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