Page 3 - 2024 July report

MINDSET OVER MATTER
Robert A. Krause
I have a confession: Despite my role as CEO of an education-focused foundation, I’m not an avid reader. But when a friend and colleague told me about the 2006 book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Stanford University psychology professor Carol Dweck, I bought it that very day. I knew it would be deeply relevant to JSF’s mission.
Dweck’s core premise is that our ability to learn is not just a function of great teaching and other external supports, like tutoring and mentoring. It also stems from within. Just as important is how we approach a new pursuit. We can either foster a “fixed mindset” or a “growth mindset.”
A fixed mindset stems from the view that we’re either good at something or we’re not. How many times have you heard a student say, “I’m just bad at math!”? The belief that underlies this sentiment is that acquiring new skills is a function of the genes we were born with — and therefore, there’s little or nothing we can do to improve. This perspective limits development and separates us into “haves and have-nots.” It breeds arrogance and judgment.
With a growth mindset, we operate with the belief that our ability to learn is not fixed at birth. We embrace the fact that intelligence and academic pursuits can be strengthened with effort, just like muscles.
The good news is that a fixed mindset is not, well, fixed. Parents, mentors, educators, and administrators can help students shift to a growth mindset — often through surprisingly simple approaches. For example, Dweck developed a workshop in which instructors encouraged struggling students in messages like this:
Many people believe that a person is born either smart, average, or dumb.... But new research shows ... that when you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more your brain cells grow. Then, things that you once found very hard or even impossible — like speaking a foreign language or doing algebra — seem to become easy.
The workshops
consisted of just
eight sessions,
yet the impact was
significant — measurably
improving students’ grades.
Students in a “control” workshop
who did not receive any growth mindset coaching showed no improvement.
I was late to the game on the science of the growth mindset, but fortunately, most of JSF’s grantees were not. Looking back at many of the site visits I’ve conducted in recent years, I can see that growth mindset messages and approaches are at the core of their work. They recognize that many of their students have received years of negative messages about their abilities — and reversing these messages can unlock tremendous potential. They embrace Dweck’s data, which shows that “one adjustment of students’ beliefs [can unleash] their brain power and inspire them to work and achieve.”
So now it’s my turn to start applying this powerful body of research in my own life — in my role as a husband, father, leader, and human. Among the many applications I see in my life, I plan to try to reverse the negative self-image expressed at the top of this essay — that I’m a lousy reader. After all, why can’t I embrace the growth mindset that I’ve yet to become an avid reader? Why not start now?!
Mindset is really at the core of our work at JSF.
Education is a powerful force for change. Mindset touches on many of the values and principles of JSF funding. Look for a copy of the book to be delivered to you soon. I hope you’ll read it.
Education / A Powerful force for change
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