Student Mindsets to Cultivate in the Classroom
A student is required to take calculus for her economics major. The student dreads it because her past negative experiences with math have convinced her that she hates studying math and she has little math ability.
Description of the Challenge
Mental mindset refers to the students’ attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about a course or subject (Chew, 2014). Mental mindset encompasses the teacher, course, topic, pedagogy, method of assessment, and beliefs about the likelihood of their success in the course through their own efforts. Students come into a class with pre-conceived notions of how valuable the course will be to them, how important the course is compared to other courses they are taking, how hard the course will be for them, and what is a reasonable workload for the course. For example, Cahill, et al., (2018) found that student attitudes towards physics predicted student learning across different topics, courses, teaching styles, and assessments, even after controlling for prior knowledge. De Corte, Verschaffel, and Depaepe (2008) explored the false and negative beliefs about math held by fifth-graders, and found that improvements in classroom culture improved both math learning and math beliefs.
Dweck and colleagues have explored the impact of implicit theories of intelligence on learning (Yeager & Dweck, 2012; Yeager, et al., 2019). Implicit theories fall along a spectrum. At one extreme are entity or fixed theories, which hold that intelligence or ability is set and unchangeable through personal effort. Students with fixed mindsets see effort as a sign of weakness and they avoid challenges because failure cannot be overcome through effort. A fixed mindset undermines resilience in the face of setbacks. On the other end of the spectrum are incremental or growth mindsets. Students with growth mindsets see intellectual ability as a malleable trait that can be cultivated and enhanced through personal effort. Students with growth mindsets are more likely to embrace intellectual challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, and they are more likely to be resilient in the face of setbacks. Growth or incremental mindset is likely related to the concept of academic self-efficacy (Zimmerman, 2000), which refers to students’ belief in their own capability to learn. Academic self-efficacy is strongly linked to learning and motivation.
Recommendations
Teachers must be aware of student mindsets in the classes they teach. From the first day, teachers should highlight the value and importance of the class to students, for their majors, or their careers, or simply to help understand issues they may encounter. Even if students did sign up for this course because it met a general educational requirement, and it was the only one not meeting at 8:00 am, and their buddy was already enrolled, this is going to be a valuable course that the students would have wanted to take anyway.
There is good evidence that a negative or counterproductive mindset can be corrected through targeted interventions or effective pedagogy. Yeager, et al. (2016) discusses how to design interventions for improving fixed student mindset. Active learning strategies that enhance student achievement improve academic self-efficacy (Ballen, Wieman, Salehi, Searle, & Zamudio, 2017). Formative assessments can promote both growth mindset and academic self-efficacy (Yin, et al., 2008). DeCorte, et al., (2008) found that changing classroom culture to improve student support and sense of belongingness brought about an improved mindset toward math in fifth-grade students. Mindset is related to the challenges of misconceptions and to student fear and mistrust. Much more research needs to be carried out in how to improve mental mindset.
Recommended Reading
- The PERTS (Project for Education Research that Scales) Lab is a coalition of educational researchers committed to translating research into scalable educational innovations. Their website (perts.net/) has an extensive collection resources, articles, and blogs about mindset.
- An extensive literature review on so-called noncognitive factors and their impact on learning by Farrington, Roderick, Allensworth, Nagaoka, Keyes, Johnson, and Beechum, (2012) includes a discussion of mindset.
Teachers can design the most impeccable lesson plan, but if their students aren’t in the right headspace to learn, all that work can be for naught. So it’s worth it to invest time to figure out the right student mindsets to cultivate—the groundwork can be laid for a more engaged class, better classroom dynamics, and optimized instructional time.
One way to start is by framing belonging as a collaborative effort. While establishing an inclusive community where students feel like they fit in and have agency is crucial for effective learning, it’s not all up to the teacher—students must collaborate in building the classroom culture. Cocreating classroom agreements with students can strengthen their commitment and buy-in. And employing inclusive language and positioning oneself as a “warm demander”—someone who combines high academic expectations with support and kindness—further reinforces this sense of shared purpose and connection.
Setting up a mistake-friendly environment and encouraging students to have a high tolerance for academic risk is also vital. Protecting learners from failure does more harm than good—research shows that exposure to challenges and the experience of productive struggle foster growth. A 2021 study revealed that prioritizing constructive feedback over grades significantly boosted student performance in subsequent tasks. In a classroom like this, mistakes are not only destigmatized but seen as valuable learning opportunities.
Lastly, while a certain level of stress is inevitable (and beneficial for development), learning effective management techniques is essential for students. By integrating practices such as short breaks, deep breathing, and meditation, teachers can help mitigate stress and model strategies for regulation. Teaching students how to assess their challenges realistically with activities like “The Size of the Problem” and encouraging them to distinguish between what is within their control and what isn’t enables them to approach problems with a more balanced perspective.
By helping their students embrace these ways of thinking, educators can cultivate resilient and inquisitive learners, ultimately transforming their classroom for the better.
To learn more about the research cited in the video, check out the resources below.
Tanmay Sinha and Manu Kapur’s comprehensive meta-analysis of the evidence for productive failure (2021)
Caroline E. Kuepper-Tetzel and Paul L. Gardner’s study on the effects of withholding grades (2021)
Find more evidence-based ideas for student mindsets to cultivate in Stephen Merrill’s article for Edutopia titled “6 Essential Student Mindsets to Work On This Year.”
Conclusion
A growth mindset can profoundly influence a student’s approach to learning, helping them develop resilience, motivation, and a love for challenges. In classrooms where students are encouraged to see effort as the path to mastery, failure as a learning opportunity, and collaboration as a way to grow, the educational experience becomes richer and more meaningful. By nurturing this mindset, educators can empower students to not only succeed academically but also to thrive in all aspects of their lives.