How the Growth Mindset Philosophy Influences Education - Essay Example

How the Growth Mindset Philosophy Influences Education Introduction: In her renowned text “Mindset: the New Psychology of Success”, Carol S. Dweck gives a comprehensive analysis on her thesis, how mindsets influence relationships, parenting, business sports and education. In view of this thesis, Dweck (7) proposes that an individual can have either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. The fixed mindset is one that causes an individual to believe that what they are cannot change. Such individuals are comfortable with their “abilities” and tend to accept them as fate. As such they do not go out of their way to see to what limits this abilities can stretch. On the other hand, individuals with a growth mindset believe in their capacity to change or improve. Dweck (57) believes that no individual has limited potential seeing as the extent of ones abilities are as good as the amount of effort one puts to develop them. Therefore, the growth mindset gives room for expansion, improvement, correction and exploration. Given these descriptions, one can postulate that people with a growth mindset are more likely to be successful in their lives, for instance, in education because they do not tie themselves down to stereotypes and other speculative propaganda about their true capabilities. A growth mindset can have a positive influence by improving resilience to educational challenges, increasing motivation and achievement, narrowing the gender gap in subjects like Math, and improving student behavior. Improving Resilience to Educational Challenges: The growth mindset mentality enables an individual to separate the difficulty of a task from their capability (Dweck 101). Students with the growth mindset may acknowledge that a task is difficult but will strife to overcome this difficulty given that instead of focusing on their smarts they focus on learning to get more information and increase their ability to face this challenge. In addition the growth mentality encourages curiosity, allowing the student to seek out new ways of understanding the world. For instance, a student encountering algebra for the first time may think it an uphill task but with a growth mindset there is always a silver lining. As such challenges are not threats but stepping stones to better understanding. These aspects of growth mindset make individuals more resilient compared to their fixed mindset counterparts. It is this resilience that improves a person’s ability to comprehend and finally helps boost their grades (67). Given, every once in a while an individual is criticized by virtue of their inability in an area. People with growth mindsets appreciate criticism and see it as a positive challenge because it is these criticisms that push them to become better (Dweck 98). Increasing Motivation and Achievement: Another positive effect of the growth mindset mentality is that it increases motivation for an individual. With each new challenge an individual takes it as a form of motivation to better themselves in order to reach a skill level or capability that enables them to beat that challenge. This form of motivation is cumulative, with time, the individual experiences a change in their performance (more so for students who previously had a fixed mentality). Another huddle students may experience is the negative attitude they may have against tests and examinations (16). The growth mindset helps students realize that tests are not determiners of their potential but a means through which they can re-evaluate their potential. Therefore, the achievements of a student are not as an end but a means through which students grow, stagnation is not an option. Dweck’s (221) (brainology) studies indicate that students who previously had fixed mindsets report a significant improvement in test scores and even IQ scores after adopting the growth mindset. Also, a student with a growth mindset will study harder after failing while one with a fixed mindset will give up (Dweck 134). For instance, a student who previously scored D’s in subject X can gradually rise to a score of A in a matter of one school year or less (Dweck 32). This has a lot to do with the student studying to understand rather than to pass an exam and this is the best kind of motivation. Narrowing the gender gap in subjects like Math and language: Growth mindset has the capacity to help individuals surpass gender hindrances to achieve academic success. For instance, females are generally better in language comprehension than their male counterparts. On the other hand, males are generally better at comprehending mathematics and most sciences compared to females. It is true that one gender can do better in a subject than the other but individuals should not let this fact define them. Growth mindsets enable individuals to step out of definitions based on age, race and even gender (67). One should create an environment free of self imposed hindrances that cramp their potential and allow themselves to step out of their comfort zone (Dweck 103). For example, Dweck points out that, female students with a growth mind set are able to narrow down the math performance “gender gap”. The same is true for male students when it comes to language comprehension. The growth mindset is big on the ability to separate other people’s opinions from ones goals and abilities and this helps people overcome their real shortcomings. Improving Student Behavior: Finally, the growth mindset can significantly improve an individual’s view of life through influencing their behavior (202). While one might look at this as a mere life skill (good behavior), Dweck holds that good behavior is crucial in helping an individual take control of their school performance. It is a general assumption that most bullies in school do not perform to their full potential in class work. The growth mindset helps an individual to seek out positive life satisfaction and this does not stop at anger management or social courtesy (234). Such individuals also see the need to experience the finer things in life including getting good grades. This will then act as a form of motivation and the individual is able to seek out positive ways to improve their performance in life and in school. Good behavior also involves taking charge of ones motivation and not relying on external forces to give motivation (224). Reflection: Carol Dweck highlights a very important fact, an individual should be in charge of their destiny and this is possible with the growth mindset. What stands out from her work is that growth mindsets are flexible and require effort and persistence (Dweck 39). As such, embracing a mindset is a conscious thing that requires that an individual is keen on details such as “what are their capabilities now” and “what do they want to achieve in the long run”. On the other hand, there is a downgrading aspect Dweck has applied in her analysis of praise and compliment. It is a known fact that compliments are essential in ensuring that a child has a healthy self esteem. Conclusion: Given the practicality of Dweck’s arguments, I believe that the growth mindset is a very viable approach to life and other specifics such as marriage and even education. However, a level of discipline is necessary to fully master the growth mindset seeing as persistence and endurance are necessary. Finally, I am of the opinion that Dweck needs to re-evaluate a few aspects of her take on praise and compliments to a child. Perhaps an emphasis on how one can strike a balance between compliments and “tough love” will suffice. After all, the growth mindset is as good as the confidence an individual has in themselves. Works Cited Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2006. Read More