Connecting “Developing a Growth vs. a Fixed Mindset” with Student Motivation and a Positive Classroom Environment

 

Connecting “Developing a Growth vs. a Fixed Mindset” with Student Motivation and a Positive Classroom Environment

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Abstract

 

Inculcating higher expectations from the students is something that the teacher expects best for the students with the hope that they always work hard to meet their goals (Drew, 2019). Students are trained to have self-belief so that they work hard to attain the target set. One of the strategies that enable a teacher to achieve a positive classroom is through having high expectations with students so that students are engaged to move towards achieving goals without limits. According to the Education Hub (n.d.), high expectations enable students to rule faster with improved achievement. On top of that, Ritchhart (2015) added that such teachers focus more on the expectations of their students in which the students are treated differently concerning the implanted expectations. On current emphasis based on performance as the main success indicator, Flowers, Mertens, Mulhall, and Carpenter (2004) stated that the rising expectation of teachers is a basic solution to complex problems.

 

Connecting “Developing a Growth vs. a Fixed Mindset” with Student Motivation and a Positive Classroom Environment

 

Out of five beliefs set by Ritchhart (2015) that encourage a set of high levels of expectations in creating effective learning for students, one of the chosen areas of focus is, “Developing a growth vs. a fixed mindset.” The teacher who believes in fixed mindsets is the person who thinks that students’ talents are innate, away from the teacher who believes in a growth mindset. According to Carol Dweck (2006), the student tries to understand their talents through their failure, and it can be developed over the period through working hard and collaborating with others, who in return can perform better than one with a fixed mindset. The growth mindset never depends on what it tends to say about anyone, but it focuses on changing the way one does things. Ritchhart (2015) pointed out that mindsets are one of the powerful makers of one’s experiences in which the mindset develops through vigorous interaction with other people and the feedback they receive during different situations. Mostly, students with a growth mindset focus on learning rather than work coping with challenges and thinking of it as an opportunity to learn and understand (Teaching Pathways, n.d.), in return, it promotes the creation of a positive classroom environment because such students are focused on learning than any other things. Moreover, it inculcates in students the willingness to learn through hard work and to improve themselves because they learn to be resilient and confident by taking up challenges rather than giving them up (Teaching Times, n.d.). Students with a growth mindset are mostly more optimistic about their and their relationship success with positive consequences than the students with fixed mindsets.

 

Three Teacher’s Actions Based on The Above Beliefs for Setting High Expectations, Including Educational Merit

 

Three actions that a teacher can promote to develop a growth vs. a fixed mindset for learners are:

 

Firstly, the teacher should encourage his students in his classroom to come up with new ideas, try out new approaches to thinking and handling problems by seeking suggestions and feedback, and make the students not stick with their existing abilities and intelligence. It enables students to develop their mindset to work harder through exploration so that the students improve and become confident with the development of resilience without giving up anything when things become complex (Teaching Times, n.d.). In doing so, students will be focused on the learning process with greater emphasis on learning over the work and let them avoid being engrossed with their self-perceptions which ultimately make them have a fixed mindset. The teacher should encourage students to take risks, collaborate, and enjoy the challenges for their development (Ritchhart, 2015). By doing so, their success rate would be at the optimum level because they would be prepared during their learning process. 

 

Moreover, the teacher should provide encouraging praise and constructive feedback in the classroom, complimenting their hardship and process, not their IQ, so that students get motivated to learn with more effort. While providing the comments, the teacher should be positive about their abilities in that they can define their teacher as who they are (Ritchhart, 2015). Comments like “You responded smartly,” “Your presentation is wonderful, well done,” “I appreciate the way you read,” etc. can motivate them to have a growth mindset that ultimately promotes a positive classroom environment for better learning outputs. Such things can be dealt with well through the mentoring process and constant meetings because it heightens the way they think, and their perspective would be shaped by their mentors. However, bad feedbacks often shame them in the classroom and demotivate them by lowering their morale and degrading their confidence.

 

Finally, the teacher should help students with fixed mindsets in the classroom to change to have a growth mindset. In doing so, the teacher should help students discover their true potential and make such students realize that choices are abundantly available who think that there isn’t any choice available. Usually, students with a fixed mindset think that their abilities are fixed, and their qualities are poor always think that they can never change. Setting micro-goals that can be easily achieved in the classroom will encourage students’ stability and incremental progress. The teacher through continuous support should make them believe that they can also grow and develop over time if they change their perceptions and work harder in the manner others do. And with repeated small successes, strengthen their mindset and increase their confidence. They should be made to change their perceptions and beliefs about their ability and let them discover the talent within themselves so that their ignorance fades away. By doing so, they can change their perceptions and better their learning through intensive engagement, making the classroom more positive and livelier because they can understand that choices exist even for them. The teacher should also involve them in the classroom often so that they get used to the way others learn.

 

 How those actions help encourage student’s motivation and promote a positive classroom environment

 

The said actions used in the classroom will motivate students with greater success rates and also equally promote a positive classroom environment because the teacher is involved in encouraging students to learn under various situations and with different peers through peer modeling, inspiring them frequently. It not only improves their grades but also uplifts their scores during the test. After students are made aware of their potential in learning, they tend to practice identifying their weaknesses so that it turns them to build strength. By doing so, they are motivated to learn, can increase their satisfaction, can reduce their anxiety, and can fill the achievement gap. On the other hand, it also creates a conducive and positive classroom environment as it encourages struggling students to improve by making them stop dropping grades and the growth in academics can be seen well. Due to changes in the mindset of all students, everyone starts working harder with more confidence, creating a positive environment in the classroom.

 

Conclusion

 

To conclude, encouraging students through frequent intervention and care can enable students to have growth mindsets in which they start viewing everything differently as ways of progressing toward their goals and can understand the importance of learning. The teacher can develop their abilities by encouraging them to learn themselves. Thus, through constant nurturing, and a growth mindset in the classroom, the teacher can make students believe that they can learn, grow, and develop their skills to attain their set target.

 

                                                                          Reference 

Drew, C. (2019). 13 Ways to Set High Expectations in the Classroom. Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://helpfulprofessor.com/high-expectations-for-students/#:~:text=High%20expectations%20is%20the%20attitude%20that%20you%20expect,unconditional%20positive%20regard.%20Set%20achievable%20but%20difficult%20tasks.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Book.

Flowers, N., Mertens, S. B., Mulhall, P,. & Carpenter, D. M. H. (2004). High Expectations for Every Student. Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237783412_High_Expectations_for_Every_Student

Ritchhart, R. (2015). Creating cultures of thinking: The 8 forces we must master to truly transform our schools. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, pp. 37-60.

The Education Hub. (n.d.). How to develop high expectations teaching. Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/How-to-develop-high-expectations-teaching.pdf

Teaching Pathways. (n.d.). Expectations. Retrieved October 11, 2021 from https://thinkingpathwayz.weebly.com/expectations.html