Promoting a Growth Mindset

Encourage students to approach learning and well-being with a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a belief that our abilities, knowledge, and goals can be adapted and developed despite setbacks we might face (Dweck, 2006). Research suggests that students that were taught about developing a growth mindset perform better in school, show more motivation, and are more likely to take on challenges (Bostwick et al., 2017).

With a growth mindset, failure and challenges are used as learning opportunities that can lead to eventual success. Sometimes students need reminding that struggling is part of the learning process. One bad grade can be an opportunity for growth rather than a reason to give up. Additionally, a growth mindset is teaching students to ask for help or use resources that can assist them. This may be encouraging students to take advantage of office hours, supplemental instruction, tutoring services, or review sessions.

One way to help students think about a growth mindset is to ask a student to identify something they have previously learned along with strategies that supported their success (Bowman & Levtov, 2020). If you feel comfortable, share your challenges and how you’ve approached them. Provide students the opportunity to do the same.

For more information, see Learning at Iowa.