Appraisal

last updated:October 2007

Robustness
    
Carol Dweck’s book summarises and synthesises around 30 years of research into what motivates people to achieve, and what holds them back. Her studies often involved over 100 students, with participants ranging from pre-school through to college, and she repeated her experiments on numerous occasions with groups from different geographical areas, socio-economic backgrounds and with different age groups. It is clear that she paid close attention to ethical issues. All her experiments were designed to leave the participants with a positive sense that they had learned or achieved something.

Although the book is based on experimental research and encompasses much data, Dweck does not elaborate on the statistical results of the individual studies and gives only brief details of the methodology she used each time. But she does include a substantial section of references to the original studies, and provides some of the questionnaires she used to measure students’ confidence, implicit theories of intelligence and personality in an appendix.

Dweck found that students’ self-theories about intelligence have a profound influence on their motivation to learn. Students who hold a “fixed” theory (around 40 per cent of students) are mainly concerned with how smart they are – they prefer tasks they can already do well and avoid tasks that involve making mistakes. In contrast, students who believe in a “growth” theory of intelligence (around 40 per cent of students) want to challenge themselves to increase their abilities, even if they fail at first. Around 20 per cent of students are undecided and students do not necessarily hold the same theory across all disciplines. Dweck’s various studies showed that it is possible to change students’ beliefs towards a growth theory of intelligence, whatever their age, (by teaching them to concentrate on effort and learning processes in the face of obstacles), and that doing so can make a big difference to their achievement.

Relevance

Dweck’s research about intelligence and motivation, and how they are variously influenced by fixed and growth mindsets, is highly relevant to all teachers – from teachers trying to help under performing and low achieving students or support gifted and talented students, to teachers concerned about students’ dip in performance on transfer to secondary school, and sports teachers keen to help students reach higher levels of achievement. Dweck’s incremental view of learning fits in with assessment for learning practices (such as self- and peer assessment) which enable students to improve, and thinking skills interventions designed to accelerate students’ development. These strategies show students that success depends on what they do and how they can do it better, not on their innate ability or IQ.

Applicability

Dweck’s findings suggest that teachers should help their students to develop an incremental view of learning, to make them more inclined to engage with challenge and take risks that will enable them to grow. Her findings suggest the importance of teachers presenting students with challenging tasks and stressing to students how learning takes effort, and that the need for effort does not indicate a lack of ability. They also suggest the importance of encouraging students to remember and use strategies that will help them to tackle challenges. The way teachers praise their students will be critical. Teachers will need to avoid giving ‘person orientated’ praise (such as, I’m proud of you’ or ‘you’re good at this’) because it suggests that success is due to personal attributes and teaches students to interpret difficulties in terms of their personal weaknesses. It will be better to give ‘process orientated’ praise (such as, ‘You tried really hard’ or ‘That was a good way to do it’) because it will teach students to interpret setbacks in terms of lack of effort or inappropriate strategies, allow every student to earn praise, and will help to sell the idea that esteem comes from striving and from the use of effective strategies. ‘Task oriented’ praise (such as, ‘You’ve made hardly any spelling mistakes this time’) will be helpful too.

Writing

Dweck’s explanation of her research is highly readable. It is written in easily understood language, with little jargon or technical detail.