Mindset
Why Does It Matter?
Mindset Impacts STEM Program Outcomes
Is intelligence fixed? While the question is simple enough, the answer you get tells you a lot. A growth mindset nurtures persistence in the face of adversary. It changes the perspective from "I can't do X because I am not smart enough" to "I can't do X yet, but by learning more, I will eventually be able to."
In the accompanying TED talk, Eduardo Briceno explains the importance to developing a growth mindset. Check it out!
About the Instrument
The Mindset survey is designed to build understanding for how students view their intelligence. These 5 questions ask about how flexible or rigid the person taking the survey believes intelligence to be.
Beliefs regarding the flexibility and rigidity of intelligence translates to whether the participant has a growth mindset and fixed mindset at the time that they are taking the survey.
Just as intelligence is not fixed, mindset is also not fixed. Students who take the survey may score differently across two time points, depending on their individual circumstances.
The nature of a fixed mindset is that things cannot change, so students need external support to develop a growth mindset. Additionally, students who score high in this survey need to be encouraged and reassured. Understanding where students lie on this scale is the first step to figuring out how to support them.
References
Paunesku D, Walton GM, Romero C, Smith EN, Yeager DS, Dweck CS. Mind-Set Interventions Are a Scalable Treatment for Academic Underachievement. Psychological Science. 2015;26(6):784-793. doi:10.1177/0956797615571017 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0956797615571017
TEDx Talks. (2012, November 18). The Power of belief -- mindset and success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc&feature=youtu.be