“I’m not good at math.” “I’m not a good writer.” “I’ll never improve.”
I don’t think of myself as a judgmental teacher, but when I hear these types of phrases from some of my students I am noticeably taken aback and momentarily speechless. Luckily, these thoughts can shift, and the introductory psychology course is the perfect opportunity to give students practice using a growth mindset teaching approach to aid in such a modification. This article focuses on how, within an introductory psychology course, professors can make small changes that may have lasting impressions on mindset with the course and beyond.
A growth mindset (Dweck et al., 1995), compared to a fixed mindset, is characterized by the phrase “not yet.” Individuals with this type of mindset have an expectation that their abilities can grow and improve over time, whereas a fixed mindset is associated with the assumption that we have a set point in relation to skills and abilities and that we are unlikely to improve over time. These two distinct mindsets have been shown to be related to levels of motivation, anxiety, and overall performance in many constructs, including education (Dweck, 2000).
Growth Mindset
Although many studies emphasize the importance of a growth mindset, our education system tends to focus on more fixed aspects related to learning. Often students take standardized tests early in their schooling that place them in tracks that are fixed and also create expectations and ceilings for their performance. For these reasons and early on, students may develop self-beliefs and expectations about their abilities, which are limited by a fixed mindset (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). Implementing more growth mindset activities and messages in our learning environments can have a positive impact on learning, motivation, and engagement.
Many researchers have investigated the impact of instructor communication, mindset, and performance. One such study (Truax, 2018) found that when teachers suspend their criticism and notice improvement in their students’ writing, students are able to adopt a growth mindset and increase their motivation. Another study (Mills & Mills, 2018) showed that within a mathematics course, participants who were taught growth mindset skills earned higher final grades than those in a control group. In addition, in a communications course, researchers (Nordin & Broeckelman-Post, 2019) found that a growth mindset was negatively correlated with anxiety related to public speaking and positively correlated with performance, competence, and engagement. Taken together, these findings support the idea that mindset is important in a college environment and can be shaped by interventions.
The literature supports the use of interventions in teaching that are focused on a growth mindset, which works to increase confidence, control, and performance. Growth mindset teaching specifically uses elements of instructor feedback and communication to impact students’ perceptions and expectations in the learning environment.
Steps in Creating a Growth Mindset Introductory Psychology Course
Creating low-stakes opportunities to fail
Especially early on in a course there can be many opportunities to fail, with limited consequences. In-class quizzes with little or no point value, practice exams, ungraded group presentations, and other low-stakes activities provide a chance to learn from mistakes. Unfortunately, I find that many students after receiving a score on an exam or writing assignment, spend little time reflecting on instructor feedback. This should and needs to be the emphasis in growth mindset teaching. Focus on the errors and how to learn from them. Helping students acknowledge these errors is the first part of the process.
Practicing growth mindset – develop perseverance
Once the errors are acknowledged, students can develop perseverance with the teacher’s help. The emphasis here is that mistakes and failures are how we learn, so if we approach them with that type of mindset we can expect to improve in time. With enough exposure, students can begin to look forward to this type of learning process in which learning from mistakes builds grit and perseverance. No one expects to be able to ride a bike successfully the first time, but with practice and learning from errors ultimately progress is made. This type of gradual improvement mindset can be developed through acceptance of early failure.
Self-assessment - develop plan to address areas for growth
Early on in the course, I have students do a self-assessment of their skills. Do they typically procrastinate, have difficulty keeping up with the reading, have test anxiety, etc.? Then I try to introduce specific techniques to address any areas for growth. For example, I work with students to create a non-procrastination plan, especially in relation to writing assignments. Create milestones for students to turn in drafts and supply growth feedback. The message should focus on how students can improve these skills: overcoming writers’ block, accepting the necessity for revisions of writing, and exploring resources on campus. When students can accurately assess their weaknesses, they can be empowered to address them and improve.
Tweak the grading system
Instead of a more traditional grading system, consider increasing the weight of assignments, tests, and quizzes over the course of the semester. For example, instead of each test being worth a maximum of 100 points, start low and work up slowly: 50, 75, 100, 125, then 150 for the final test. This technique gives students a chance to learn the instructor’s testing style, helps them avoid catastrophizing early failures, and paves the way for potential growth in performance throughout the semester. This type of grading can be applied to all areas of the course to promote learning from mistakes and creating an expectation of improvement over time.
Find your why
Luckily an introductory psychology course can be personally relevant, in one way or another, to all students. Helping students find their “why” in the course can aid with perseverance, make the material more enjoyable, and increase overall motivation. Within the first few days of the course, I recommend creating a reflective assignment in which students focus on their personal reasons for taking the course. Once those connections are made, I aim my teaching towards those goals, especially when time allows for some tangential discussions. Create assignments that allow students to focus on their interests, questions, and passions. Ultimately these types of assignments will produce more engagement and motivation.
Putting It All Together
These techniques are not that difficult to use but can have an impact on students’ expectations within a course, and potentially on their overall mindset. I have seen students who fear statistics or can’t imagine writing a successful research paper positively transform their self-concept during the semester. If you think you can’t influence your students in these positive ways, it’s time to change your mindset…
References
Dweck, C. S., Chiu, C.-y, & Hong, Y.-y. (1995). Implicit theories and their role in judgments and reactions: A word from two perspectives. Psychological Inquiry, 6(4), 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0604_1opens in new window
Dweck, C. S. (2000). Self-Theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Psychology Press.
Mills, I. M., & Mills, B. S. (2018). Insufficient evidence: Mindset intervention in developmental college math. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1045–1059. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-9453-yopens in new window
Truax, M. L. (2018). The impact of teacher language and growth mindset feedback on writing motivation. Literacy Research and Instruction, 57(2), 135–157.
Dan Niederjohn is an Associate Professor at Kennesaw State University. He teaches courses related to applied psychology and internships. His recent research has focused on helping students succeed in college and beyond, with a particular interest on the transferable skills within psychology. In addition to teaching, he maintains a small private practice in which he works with clients on issues of adjustment and anxiety.
