The Growth Mindset

Summary

In this interview, Carol Dweck, the originator of the 'growth mindset' concept, discusses its significance in education. She explains that a growth mindset, where students believe their abilities can develop, leads to better academic performance compared to a fixed mindset. Dweck's research shows that praising effort and learning strategies over innate intelligence encourages children to embrace challenges and learn from mistakes, fostering neural growth in the brain.

Takeaways

• 📚 Historical literacy rates were much lower than today's, highlighting how our predictions about capabilities can be vastly underestimated.
• 🌟 Carol Dweck is a renowned psychologist known for her work on mindsets, influencing educational platforms like Khan Academy.
• 💡 The concept of a 'growth mindset' is central to Dweck's work, emphasizing the belief that abilities can be developed over time.
• 🧠 Science supports the idea that the brain grows stronger with effort and struggle, forming new neural connections.
• 📈 Studies show that students with a growth mindset achieve higher grades, indicating a direct link between mindset and academic success.
• 🏆 Praising effort and process over innate intelligence encourages a growth mindset and a willingness to embrace challenges.
• 🚫 Kids praised for intelligence may avoid challenges, fearing that difficulty signals a lack of ability.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents and educators play a crucial role in fostering a growth mindset by focusing on the process of learning, not just the outcome.
• 🤝 Collaboration with Khan Academy has shown that integrating growth mindset messages can improve student performance in math.
• 🧐 Viewing mistakes as opportunities for learning, rather than failures, is a key component of developing a growth mindset.

Q & A

What was the literacy rate 400 years ago according to the transcript?

The literacy rate was about 15%.

What might people from 400 years ago have estimated the literacy rate to be?

They might have estimated it to be around 20% to 25%.

What is the current literacy rate mentioned in the transcript?

It is stated that 99.99% of the population is capable of reading today.

Who is Carol Dweck and how is she connected to the transcript?

Carol Dweck is a psychologist known for her work on mindsets and is one of the interviewee's personal heroes. She has significantly influenced the work at Khan Academy.

What is the 'growth mindset' concept introduced in the transcript?

A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be developed through dedication and effort.

What is the opposite of a growth mindset?

The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset, where individuals believe their abilities are unchangeable.

How does the brain respond to struggles according to the transcript?

The brain grows stronger as neural connections form when individuals struggle and learn from their challenges.

What is the relationship between a growth mindset and academic performance?

Children with a growth mindset tend to get higher grades because they engage deeply and effectively in the learning process.

What happens when children are praised for their intelligence rather than their effort?

Praising intelligence can lead to children avoiding challenges and not wanting to work hard, which can hinder their learning process.

What should parents praise in their children to foster a growth mindset?

Parents should praise their children's hard work, strategies, ideas, focus, and perseverance to encourage a growth mindset.

What was the impact of inserting growth mindset statements before math problems?

Inserting growth mindset statements before math problems led to children performing better in their tasks.

How should individuals view their mistakes according to the transcript?

Mistakes should be viewed as interesting opportunities for learning and exploration, rather than something to be ashamed of.

What happens in the brain when individuals embrace their mistakes and struggle?

Embracing mistakes and struggling leads to the formation of new neural connections, which results in the physical growth of the brain.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Evolution of Literacy and Growth Mindset

The paragraph begins with a historical perspective, comparing the literacy rates of the past with the present. It suggests that 400 years ago, the literacy rate was around 15%, and people might have estimated it to be higher, but today, nearly everyone is literate. This sets the stage for an interview with Carol Dweck, a psychologist known for her work on the 'growth mindset.' Carol explains that a growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be developed, contrasting with a fixed mindset where one believes their abilities are static. The discussion emphasizes the importance of effort and learning from challenges, as opposed to simply praising intelligence. The scientific basis for the growth mindset is highlighted, showing that the brain can grow stronger and form new neural connections through struggle and learning.

Keywords

💡literacy rate

The literacy rate refers to the percentage of people in a population who can read and write. In the context of the video, it is used to highlight the dramatic increase in literacy over the past 400 years, which was unimaginable to people of that time. This serves as a metaphor for the importance of not underestimating human potential and the capacity for change.

💡growth mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be improved through dedication and hard work. It is central to the video's theme, as Carol Dweck, who coined the term, explains that students with this mindset tend to achieve higher grades and are more willing to embrace challenges. The video emphasizes the importance of fostering a growth mindset in education.

💡fixed mindset

A fixed mindset is the belief that one's abilities are set and cannot be changed. This concept is contrasted with a growth mindset in the video to illustrate the limitations of seeing one's abilities as static. It is used to show why some students might avoid challenges and not reach their full potential.

💡neural connections

Neural connections refer to the pathways that transmit signals between neurons in the brain. The video explains that these connections strengthen when individuals struggle and learn, which is a scientific basis for the growth mindset. It suggests that intellectual growth is a tangible process that occurs within the brain.

💡praise

Praise in the video is discussed as a tool that can either reinforce a fixed mindset or foster a growth mindset, depending on what is being praised. Praising effort, strategy, and perseverance encourages a growth mindset, while praising innate intelligence can lead to a fixed mindset.

💡challenge

A challenge in the video is presented as an opportunity for growth. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to seek out challenges as a means to develop their abilities, whereas those with a fixed mindset may avoid them due to fear of failure.

💡struggle

Struggle is portrayed in the video as a positive and necessary part of the learning process. It is through struggle that individuals can develop a deeper understanding and form stronger neural connections, which is a key aspect of the growth mindset.

💡mistakes

Mistakes are redefined in the video as valuable learning opportunities rather than failures. Embracing mistakes with curiosity can lead to the formation of new neural connections and intellectual growth, which is a fundamental aspect of the growth mindset.

💡perseverance

Perseverance is highlighted as a key ingredient of success in the video. It is the ability to keep going in the face of difficulty, which is encouraged by a growth mindset. The video suggests that praising perseverance can help students develop resilience.

💡brain growth

Brain growth in the video refers to the physical changes that occur in the brain as a result of learning and overcoming challenges. It is used to illustrate the tangible benefits of a growth mindset and the importance of effort and struggle in cognitive development.

💡Khan Academy

Khan Academy is mentioned as an educational organization that has been influenced by Carol Dweck's work. It serves as an example of an institution that promotes the growth mindset in its approach to education, aiming to help students of all ages develop their abilities.

Highlights

400 years ago, the literacy rate was around 15%, and people might have estimated it to be 20-25%.

Today, 99.99% of the population is capable of reading, which is a stark contrast to past assumptions.

Carol Dweck, the originator of the term 'growth mindset', is interviewed.

Growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed, contrasting with a fixed mindset.

Science supports the idea that the brain grows stronger and forms new neural connections when struggling with challenges.

Children with a growth mindset tend to achieve higher grades.

Engagement in the learning process naturally leads to better grades and test scores.

Praising children for their intelligence may lead them to avoid challenges and not persevere through difficulties.

Praising the process, such as hard work, strategies, and perseverance, is more beneficial.

Students should view mistakes as interesting opportunities for learning and growth.

Mistakes and struggles are essential for forming new neural connections and brain growth.

Incorporating growth mindset statements before math problems improves student performance.

The interview encourages spreading the concept of growth mindset to parents, children, peers, teachers, and students.

The importance of not being ashamed of mistakes and viewing them as something to explore.

The physical growth of the brain is linked to how we approach and learn from our errors.

Transcripts

(interviewer) Imagine ourselves 400 years ago.

They had about a 15% literacy rate.

And I suspect that if you were to talk to someone who could read back then

and ask them, "What percentage of the population do you think is capable of

reading?" They might have said, " Well, maybe 20%, 25%."

Now you fast forward 400 years, we know that's a wildly pessimistic

prediction or assumption. But it's actually 99.99% of the population

is capable of reading. Well, what similar blinders do we have on today?

So, I'm excited to have Carol Dweck here, one of my personal heroes and

who strongly influenced a lot of the work at Kahn Academy.

Carol, great to have you here.

(Carol) Pleasure to be here Sal.

(Sal) So, so, what I like

to start off with this word: growth mindset.

Which I believe you came up with.

(Carol) Mmhm. (Sal) Um, when did you come up

with that? What was the motivation and what is it?

(Carol) A growth mindset is when

students believe that their abilities can be developed. A fixed mindset is

when they think, "I just have a certain amount and that's it."

(Sal) This isn't just kind of feel good talk,

this is actually based in science, that you actually,

the brain actually does grow stronger, neural connections actually do form

when you struggle.

(Carol) In study after

study we have shown that kids

who have a growth mindset get higher grades. It's not a choice

between the outcome and the mindset. It shows that, if kids engage deeply and

effectively in a learning process, their grades and test scores are a natural

byproduct. Kids who are praised for their intelligence, our research shows,

don't want a challenge afterwards, they don't want to work hard on something, and

if they had difficulty, that's it. We find that when we praise or parents praise

the process the child engages in, their hard work, but not just hard work, their

strategies, their ideas, their focus, their perseverance, then the student

learns these are the ingredients of success. If it gets harder,

I'll just do these things. We've already done work

with you, uh, inserting growth mindset statements before a math

problems, and we found together that kids did better.

(Sal) So one thing that I hope is,

the folks listening to these videos, go out there and tell

their parents, tell their children, tell their peers, tell their teachers, tell

their students about growth mindset. Tell them that their brain grows when

they get a question wrong, when they

struggle, when they look at their errors and

they say, "Hey, that's an interesting!" That you shouldn't be

ashamed of your mistake, that you should view that as something

that is interesting; something to explore. When you do that, you will

actually, physically, form neural connections. Your brain will

actually grow.