By Jennifer Pinkney Pastor

In western cultures such as the USA, students are likely to have been conditioned to accept a fixed mindset about their skills and abilities (i.e., “I am smart,” “I am learning disabled and special ed”). Students who feel good about their level of achievement via a fixed mindset may not appear to be adversely affected by this mindset because they have high self-efficacy (i.e., beliefs) about what they can do and what skills they have. Yet, under new and challenging circumstances, even these high achievers may falter or fall short because they believe they are not talented in this specific challenging area. (i.e., “I’m not good at math.”) In that case, they are likely to give up or walk away from the challenge. Achievers with low self-efficacy and a history of failure are likely to give up even faster if they have a fixed mindset. Research reveals that a growth mindset is likely to benefit both high achieving and low achieving students because they are likely to learn that persistence pays off even under difficult circumstances.

While I have covered the topic of fixed vs. growth mindsets in my course, I would do much better to personalize this concept with my students so that they can tackle these belief systems directly in their own identify as a student. I will do so by having my students take the growth mindset questionnaire tool that we reviewed at this institute. I will also require students to analyze and respond to an assigned research article that examines the effects of growth vs. fixed mindsets on student performance. I will also ask students to talk about their mindsets as part of a group activity and to write their own affirmations that can help them develop or strengthen a growth mindset in an area they find challenging.

I anticipate that some students may be in denial about having a fixed mindset (because it is the wrong answer – therefore, they don’t want to believe that they have this belief). I will address this by framing the fixed mindset as a result of massive cultural conditioning that starts with parents, and is reinforced by teachers from K-12 as well as other aspects of society. Therefore, if they have a fixed mindset, it is not their fault for having this. I will model this challenge by admitting my own propensity for having a fixed mindset and demonstrating how I am addressing this issue in my own development to develop a growth mindset orientation. In conclusion, as a result of this summer institute, I will attempt to move students from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and periodically remind them of the value of developing a growth mindset belief system for their own optimal development and success.