Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset is a concept based on 30 years of research by psychologist Dr Carol S Dweck. The idea centres around the belief that an individual can improve their attainment if they believe their intelligence is not fixed, and that with focused work progress is possible. An individual with a Growth Mindset embraces challenge and accepts failure as a positive outcome and as a means of learning and progressing.

We strongly encourage pupils at Watson's to embrace failure and develop a Growth Mindset, but it is also imperative that they receive the same message at home.

Our video (below) highlights some strategies for developing Growth Mindset at home, and gives practical suggestions for how to deal with failures.

Parents and teachers want youngsters to be successful. However, sometimes our well-meaning comments, examples and motivating techniques send the wrong message. In fact, every word and action sends a message. When a parent or teacher says "I was never any good at 'subject X' at school," they can inadvertently give that young person permission to be poor at that subject. This is a particularly true in Maths and is damaging to a young person's self-belief in their potential to progress. Likewise, when we praise through phrases such as, "You learned that so quickly! You're smart!", we need to recognise it may be interpreted as "If I don't learn quickly, I am not smart.". An understanding of the Growth Mindset can help us communicate in a way which ensures a focus on progress over attainment.

The BBC's Meet the Mindset resource has a wealth of material for parents and pupils. Click here to explore.

To learn more about the power of believing you can improve from Carol Dweck.