Mindsets are a set of beliefs that people have about themselves and their abilities. There are two main types of mindsets: fixed and growth. 

People with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence and abilities are fixed and cannot be changed. These people may give up easily when they face challenges, and they may not be motivated to try new things. 

People with a growth mindset believe that their intelligence and abilities can grow and change over time. These people are more likely to persevere in the face of challenges, and they are more likely to be motivated to learn new things.

But how do mindsets affect student learning?

The mindset a student has can have a significant impact on their academic performance, future career success and their overall wellbeing. The mindset a student has towards subjects can impact their motivation to tackle learning tasks. 

For example, in a maths class a student with a fixed mindset might give up on a math problem they cannot solve straight away. These students also might use negative language such as, “This is too hard”, “I can’t do this”, or “Maths is boring”. On the other hand, a student with a growth mindset will most likely keep trying to solve the math problem, even if they don’t get it straight away. These students are likely to persevere, ask questions and use different strategies until they solve the problem. These students are likely to use positive language such as, “I might not understand now, but I can improve with practice!”

It is important to note that a mindset is not permanent. It is possible to change a student’s mindset from fixed to growth with the right supports in place. We have laid out some strategies below to help your little one develop a growth mindset:

• Focus on effort! When your child does something well, focus on the effort they put in rather than if they completed the task correctly or incorrectly. This will help your little one to recognise that working hard will lead to improvements.
• Celebrating progress! When students learn something new or make progress in a particular area, be sure to celebrate their success. This will help them to see that they are capable of learning and growing.
• Modelling a growth mindset yourself! Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. If you want your child to develop a growth mindset, be sure to model one yourself. Talk about your own challenges and how you have overcome them. Show your child that you are always learning and growing, and that you believe that anything is possible if you work hard enough.

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