The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping

Summary

Psychologist Carol Dweck discusses the concept of a 'growth mindset' versus a 'fixed mindset' in education. She illustrates how the use of 'Not Yet' instead of 'Failing' can motivate students to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Dweck emphasizes the importance of praising effort and process over innate talent, and shares how this approach can transform student outcomes, especially for those who traditionally underperform. She provides examples of significant improvements in underprivileged student groups when taught with a growth mindset, highlighting the potential for all children to succeed when nurtured in an environment that fosters learning and development.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept of 'Not Yet' is introduced as a more constructive way to view failure in education, suggesting that students are on a learning curve rather than being defined by their current level of achievement.
• 🧠 The 'growth mindset' is highlighted as a belief that abilities can be developed, contrasting with a 'fixed mindset' that views intelligence as static.
• 👶 Praising children for their effort, strategies, focus, and perseverance rather than their innate intelligence can foster resilience and a growth mindset.
• 🎮 A new online math game was developed in collaboration with game scientists to reward effort and progress, encouraging a growth mindset in students.
• 🧠 The brain activity of students with a growth mindset is shown to be more engaged when confronted with errors, leading to learning and improvement.
• 📉 Students with a fixed mindset may resort to negative behaviors like cheating or seeking validation from others' failures when they encounter academic challenges.
• 🏆 The need for constant validation and immediate rewards is critiqued as a potential consequence of a focus on short-term achievements rather than long-term growth.
• 🌟 The potential for changing students' mindsets is discussed, with studies showing that teaching the brain's capacity for growth can lead to improved academic performance.
• 📈 The power of a growth mindset is demonstrated in educational settings, with examples of underperforming groups achieving remarkable success when taught in a growth mindset environment.
• 💌 A personal letter from a 13-year-old boy illustrates the transformative impact of adopting a growth mindset on personal development and relationships.
• 🌐 The importance of creating educational environments that foster growth mindsets is emphasized, suggesting that it is a basic human right for children to be in such environments.

Q & A

What is the significance of the grade 'Not Yet' mentioned in the script?

The grade 'Not Yet' is significant because it conveys to students that they are on a learning curve and that their abilities can still develop, rather than labeling them as failures with a failing grade.

What is a growth mindset according to the script?

A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be developed through dedication and effort, as opposed to a fixed mindset where one's intelligence is seen as unchangeable.

How do students with a fixed mindset react to challenges compared to those with a growth mindset?

Students with a fixed mindset may see challenges as tragic and catastrophic, often avoiding them or seeking validation through comparison with others. In contrast, students with a growth mindset embrace challenges, viewing them as opportunities to learn and grow.

What is the difference in brain activity between fixed and growth mindset students when confronted with errors?

Fixed mindset students show little brain activity when faced with errors, indicating avoidance and disengagement. Growth mindset students, however, show increased brain activity, engaging deeply with the error to learn and correct it.

What is the impact of praising the process rather than intelligence or talent?

Praising the process, such as effort, strategies, focus, and perseverance, creates hardy and resilient children who are more likely to embrace challenges and persist in the face of difficulties.

How does the online math game created in collaboration with game scientists reward students?

The online math game rewards students for their effort, strategy, and progress, rather than just getting answers right immediately, which encourages more engagement and perseverance.

What effect do the words 'yet' or 'not yet' have on students' confidence and persistence?

The words 'yet' or 'not yet' provide students with greater confidence and a sense of a path into the future, leading to increased persistence in their learning.

How can teaching a growth mindset improve students' academic performance?

Teaching a growth mindset can lead to improved academic performance by helping students understand that their intelligence can grow with effort, leading to a rebound in grades, especially during challenging transitions.

What is the role of effort and difficulty in a growth mindset classroom?

In a growth mindset classroom, effort and difficulty are seen as positive indicators of learning, where neurons form new and stronger connections, leading to increased intelligence.

How can a growth mindset lead to educational equality among different student groups?

A growth mindset can lead to educational equality by transforming the meaning of effort and difficulty, allowing traditionally underperforming groups to excel when provided with an environment that fosters growth and learning.

What is the importance of living in places that create growth, as mentioned in the script?

Living in places that create growth is important because it allows children to develop their abilities to the fullest, making it a basic human right for all children to be in environments that support and encourage their growth.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Embracing the 'Not Yet' Mindset

The speaker introduces the concept of a 'growth mindset' using the example of a Chicago high school that uses the grade 'Not Yet' instead of failing students. This approach encourages students to view their abilities as improvable and fosters a learning curve rather than a dead-end. The speaker contrasts this with a 'fixed mindset,' where students see failure as a judgment on their intelligence. She discusses how a growth mindset leads to positive engagement with challenges, while a fixed mindset can lead to avoidance and negative behaviors. The speaker also suggests that praising the learning process, rather than innate talent, can help cultivate a growth mindset in children.

05:00

🎮 Reinforcing Growth Mindset Through Gaming

The speaker discusses a collaboration with game scientists from the University of Washington to create an online math game that rewards effort, strategy, and progress, rather than immediate correct answers. This game is designed to encourage persistence and engagement, using the concept of 'yet' to boost confidence and foster a future-oriented mindset. The speaker shares findings that teaching children about the brain's ability to form new connections through effort can lead to significant improvements in their academic performance, particularly among struggling students. She also highlights the potential for growth mindset education to address educational inequality, providing examples of underperforming student groups that have achieved remarkable success in a growth mindset classroom environment.

10:01

🌟 Transforming Lives with Growth Mindset

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of nurturing a growth mindset in children, suggesting it is a basic human right for them to be in environments that support this development. She shares a personal letter from a 13-year-old boy who experienced significant improvement in various aspects of his life after applying the principles of growth mindset. The speaker concludes with a call to action to not waste any more lives and to create more spaces filled with the potential of 'yet,' where abilities are recognized as capable of growth and development.

Keywords

💡Not Yet

The term 'Not Yet' is used to redefine the concept of failure in education. Instead of assigning a failing grade, students are given the grade 'Not Yet,' which implies that they are on a learning curve and have not yet mastered the material. This approach encourages a growth mindset, as it suggests that with more effort and time, success is possible. In the script, this concept is highlighted as a way to motivate students to continue learning and not to see themselves as failures.

💡Growth Mindset

A 'growth mindset' is a belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. This concept is central to the video's message, as it contrasts with a fixed mindset, where abilities are seen as static. The video illustrates how children with a growth mindset embrace challenges and view effort as a path to improvement, as opposed to those with a fixed mindset who may see difficulty as a sign of failure.

💡Fixed Mindset

A 'fixed mindset' refers to the belief that a person's qualities, such as intelligence or talent, are unchangeable. In the context of the video, students with a fixed mindset may feel defeated by challenges and are less likely to persevere in the face of difficulty. The video suggests that this mindset can lead to negative behaviors such as cheating or seeking validation through comparisons with others.

💡Process Praise

Process praise is the act of praising children for their effort, strategies, focus, and perseverance rather than their innate abilities or talents. The video argues that this type of praise fosters resilience and a hardy attitude towards learning. It is presented as a method to cultivate a growth mindset in children, as it emphasizes the value of the learning process over the outcome.

💡Effort

In the video, 'effort' is emphasized as a critical factor in personal development and learning. It is presented as a positive and necessary component of the learning process, especially for those with a growth mindset. The video suggests that recognizing and rewarding effort can lead to greater persistence and improvement in students.

💡Strategies

Strategies in this context refer to the methods and approaches students use to tackle challenges and learn new material. The video suggests that praising students for their strategies, as opposed to just the outcome, can encourage a growth mindset and help them develop effective learning techniques.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and adapt to challenges. The video links resilience with a growth mindset, suggesting that children who understand the value of effort and persistence are more likely to be resilient in the face of academic and life challenges.

💡Validation

Validation in the video refers to the need for external approval or recognition. It is discussed as a potential negative outcome of a fixed mindset, where students may seek validation through grades or comparisons with others rather than focusing on their own learning and growth.

💡Equality

Equality in the context of the video relates to the idea that all students, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to develop their abilities and achieve success. The video presents the growth mindset as a tool for promoting educational equality by transforming the way students perceive effort and difficulty.

💡Neurons

The term 'neurons' is used in the video to explain the biological basis of learning and intelligence. It suggests that when students push themselves to learn new and difficult things, their brain's neurons can form new, stronger connections, leading to increased intelligence. This concept is used to illustrate the growth mindset's scientific foundation.

💡Comfort Zone

The 'comfort zone' refers to the state in which an individual feels at ease and avoids risks or challenges. The video encourages students to step out of their comfort zones to learn and grow. It is presented as a necessary step for developing a growth mindset and achieving personal improvement.

Highlights

The concept of 'Not Yet' in grading can motivate students to see their current performance as part of a learning curve rather than a final judgment.

Children with a growth mindset understand that their abilities can be developed and are more likely to embrace challenges.

Students with a fixed mindset may see failure as a judgment on their intelligence, leading to negative behaviors like cheating or seeking lower performers for self-assurance.

Neuroscientific studies show that students with a growth mindset are more engaged with errors, using them as opportunities for learning.

Praising children for their effort and process rather than innate intelligence can foster resilience and a growth mindset.

A new online math game rewards process over immediate correct answers, encouraging effort, strategy, and progress.

The use of 'yet' or 'not yet' in feedback can boost students' confidence and persistence.

Teaching students that effort and challenge can lead to brain development and increased intelligence can improve their academic performance.

Growth mindset interventions have shown significant improvements in the grades of struggling students.

Creating growth mindset classrooms can lead to educational equality, as seen with high-achieving classes in traditionally underperforming areas.

In one year, a kindergarten class in Harlem scored in the 95th percentile on the National Achievement Test, demonstrating the power of a growth mindset.

Fourth-grade students in the South Bronx became the top-scoring class in New York State on the state math test within a year.

Native American students on a reservation moved from the bottom to the top of their district in a year and a half, outperforming affluent peers.

A 13-year-old boy's letter to Professor Dweck highlights the personal transformation possible through the adoption of a growth mindset.

The speaker advocates for all children to live in environments that foster growth, emphasizing 'yet' as a basic human right for development.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Ivana Korom

The power of yet.

I heard about a high school in Chicago

where students had to pass a certain number of courses to graduate,

and if they didn't pass a course, they got the grade "Not Yet."

And I thought that was fantastic,

because if you get a failing grade, you think, I'm nothing, I'm nowhere.

But if you get the grade "Not Yet"

you understand that you're on a learning curve.

It gives you a path into the future.

"Not Yet" also gave me insight into a critical event early in my career,

a real turning point.

I wanted to see

how children coped with challenge and difficulty,

so I gave 10-year-olds

problems that were slightly too hard for them.

Some of them reacted in a shockingly positive way.

They said things like, "I love a challenge,"

or, "You know, I was hoping this would be informative."

They understood that their abilities could be developed.

They had what I call a growth mindset.

But other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic.

From their more fixed mindset perspective,

their intelligence had been up for judgment and they failed.

Instead of luxuriating in the power of yet,

they were gripped in the tyranny of now.

So what do they do next?

I'll tell you what they do next.

In one study, they told us they would probably cheat the next time

instead of studying more if they failed a test.

In another study, after a failure,

they looked for someone who did worse than they did

so they could feel really good about themselves.

And in study after study, they have run from difficulty.

Scientists measured the electrical activity from the brain

as students confronted an error.

On the left, you see the fixed mindset students.

There's hardly any activity.

They run from the error.

They don't engage with it.

But on the right, you have the students with the growth mindset,

the idea that abilities can be developed.

They engage deeply.

Their brain is on fire with yet.

They engage deeply.

They process the error.

They learn from it and they correct it.

How are we raising our children?

Are we raising them for now instead of yet?

Are we raising kids who are obsessed with getting A's?

Are we raising kids who don't know how to dream big dreams?

Their biggest goal is getting the next A or the next test score?

And are they carrying this need for constant validation with them

into their future lives?

Maybe, because employers are coming to me and saying,

we have already raised a generation

of young workers who can't get through the day

without an award.

So what can we do?

How can we build that bridge to yet?

Here are some things we can do.

First of all, we can praise wisely,

not praising intelligence or talent.

That has failed.

Don't do that anymore.

But praising the process that kids engage in:

their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance,

their improvement.

This process praise

creates kids who are hardy and resilient.

There are other ways to reward yet.

We recently teamed up with game scientists

from the University of Washington

to create a new online math game that rewarded yet.

In this game, students were rewarded for effort, strategy and progress.

The usual math game

rewards you for getting answers right right now,

but this game rewarded process.

And we got more effort,

more strategies,

more engagement over longer periods of time,

and more perseverance when they hit really, really hard problems.

Just the words "yet" or "not yet," we're finding,

give kids greater confidence,

give them a path into the future that creates greater persistence.

And we can actually change students' mindsets.

In one study, we taught them

that every time they push out of their comfort zone

to learn something new and difficult,

the neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections,

and over time they can get smarter.

Look what happened: in this study,

students who were not taught this growth mindset

continued to show declining grades over this difficult school transition,

but those who were taught this lesson showed a sharp rebound in their grades.

We have shown this now, this kind of improvement,

with thousands and thousands of kids, especially struggling students.

So let's talk about equality.

In our country, there are groups of students

who chronically underperform,

for example, children in inner cities,

or children on Native American reservations.

And they've done so poorly for so long that many people think it's inevitable.

But when educators create growth mindset classrooms steeped in yet,

equality happens.

And here are just a few examples.

In one year, a kindergarten class in Harlem, New York

scored in the 95th percentile on the National Achievement Test.

Many of those kids could not hold a pencil when they arrived at school.

In one year,

fourth grade students in the South Bronx, way behind,

became the number one fourth grade class in the state of New York

on the state math test.

In a year to a year and a half,

Native American students in a school on a reservation

went from the bottom of their district to the top,

and that district included affluent sections of Seattle.

So the native kids outdid the Microsoft kids.

This happened because the meaning

of effort and difficulty were transformed.

Before, effort and difficulty

made them feel dumb, made them feel like giving up,

but now, effort and difficulty,

that's when their neurons are making new connections,

stronger connections.

That's when they're getting smarter.

I received a letter recently from a 13-year-old boy.

He said, "Dear Professor Dweck,

I appreciate that your writing is based on solid scientific research,

and that's why I decided to put it into practice.

I put more effort into my schoolwork,

into my relationship with my family,

and into my relationship with kids at school,

and I experienced great improvement in all of those areas.

I now realize I've wasted most of my life."

Let's not waste any more lives,

because once we know

that abilities are capable of such growth,

it becomes a basic human right for children, all children,

to live in places that create that growth,

to live in places filled with yet.

Thank you.

(Applause)