By Ruth Lane

In 2007, psychologist Carol Dweck wrote Mindset: The New Psychology of Success and explained that some people believe that their success is innate and cannot be changed, known as a fixed mindset. However, other people have adopted what’s known as a growth mindset. They believe that their success is due to hard work, training, education, and persistence. Educators can often recognize a student’s mindset and take steps to help foster a growth mindset in students. This can be a challenge, because students may have years of evidence that support their view that they cannot be successful in math, including past failures, negative feedback, and a lack of support at home or in social networks.

Research indicates that students who believe their abilities are fixed do not have the same level of success as those who believe that their abilities can be developed. A fixed mindset is especially problematic for math students. Students with a fixed mindset become focused on hiding their weaknesses. For example, students may be less likely to ask questions, participate in class discussions, or post in online discussion boards. They will avoid situations that could be learning opportunities because they are afraid of having their weaknesses exposed.

Unfortunately, many students bring “old recordings” to a mathematics class. Examples include “Girls can’t do math,” “You’re too old for college,” and “You never did well before, so you won’t do well now.” Students’ fears can be barriers to success and are especially difficult for those in high-scrutiny areas such as females in STEM programs or first-generation college students. It is important for educators to work to erase those incorrect recordings and replace them with new ones!

What can educators do?

Fortunately, instructors can help students cultivate a growth mindset and experience success that may have eluded them in the past.

​​Think about your own fears and educational experiences. Are you afraid of heights, flying, or spiders? Our fears may not involve math, but identifying them can help instructors relate to students’ fears. Did a negative experience impact your own sense of belonging or ability? Who had a positive impact on you when you were in school or college? Can you recall someone who encouraged you and helped you to realize that you could do something that you found challenging? Did someone help you move from a fixed to a growth mindset? Do you truly believe that all students can succeed in math? Empathizing with students’ fears, evaluating your own beliefs, and recalling the positive people in our lives can help instructors develop a growth mindset in our students.

One reason some students may have a fixed mindset is that they have never been shown the available resources to help them succeed. Gather information about the help your institution offers so that you can give your students tools to fill in skill gaps and learn new material. Some examples include your institution’s tutoring center, school resource center, your own office hours, after school help, coaching for time management and study skills, and counseling support. Be sure that you promote these resources and try to be available to help when they are stuck.

Just as examples can help students understand a math concept, motivational stories can help students understand about the importance of developing a growth mindset. Share success stories from your own life and from your teaching experiences.

I have been focusing on improving student mindset in my own classes and have found the following methods help students begin to move from a fixed to growth mindset:

• Look for something about a student’s work to praise. For some students, this may be the only positive feedback they receive from anyone. I can’t expect my students to develop a growth mindset if they only receive negative feedback.  Feedback needs to be personal, specific, helpful, and without judgment.

• Remember that students may have challenges that I don’t know anything about. It is very hard to progress towards a growth mindset if there are stressors outside of the classroom. I have a list of university resources that I share with students, such as counseling and mental health services, tutoring services, academic counselor contact information and technical support information.

• Ask students to anonymously share what they would say to another student who is going to take my course. Future students can learn from their peers. In addition, this kind of introspection helps students apply their own advice towards their next math course.

• Give students more than one way to demonstrate competency. Sometimes I ask students to explain a concept instead of solving a problem. 

• I ask my students to write down their name and intended degree (for example, Terry Smith, BSN) and keep it in front of them at their desk. Many have told me that this helped them remember their long-term goal.

It takes time to help someone change from a fixed to a growth mindset, but your students will thank you for investing in this journey with them. Always try to be encouraging, motivating, friendly, helpful, available, and positive. Remember that you may be the only encouraging person in one or more of your students’ lives.

Students who believe that they belong in a math class and that intellectual ability can be developed through effort are more likely to be successful. A student’s mindset and emotional resources are key factors in their success and persistence. Instructors play a key role in promoting this mindset. When students believe they can succeed with hard work and tenacity, they can jump in and tackle the tough concepts that they will encounter in the mathematics classroom.

Dr. Lane is the program director for the mathematics department of South University Online. She has been in this position since 2012. Prior to that, she was an adjunct math and accounting professor, a learning center director of education and a high school mathematics teacher.