The vision for this project was to improve the mindset of pupils, especially those with low levels of motivation and engagement. By developing a growth mindset, we hoped that pupils would have higher expectations of themselves, and this would impact positively on attainment. We targeted 22 fourth year pupils (9 girls and 13 boys), during a ‘Learning life and work skills’ class, which was an ideal setting for promoting growth mindset and its importance in everyday situations. Pupils were taught a series of lessons and completed a range of activities aimed at promoting a growth mindset. We also asked them to speak about growth mindset at school assemblies, helping them to overcome the challenge of presenting, and make other pupils and staff aware of the importance of adopting a growth mindset.
The aim of our project was to improve the understanding that pupils had of growth mindset, and our project achieved this. However, if given more time, we could have achieved more. A real highlight was seeing the pupils speak so well about growth mindset at school assemblies. The pupils really rose to the challenge and saw this end goal as real motivator during the project. We could have furthered their understanding of growth mindset if we had had more time with them. With the project being conducted between January and March, which can be very coursework heavy for S4 pupils sitting exams, we were unable to get pupils out of class for extra activities. This timing also made it difficult from a teacher’s point of view, with limited free time outwith preparing pupils for exams and overseeing coursework. If we had perhaps undertook the project in the final term of the year, we might have had stronger results and given pupils a richer experience.
The way in which we collected evidence and data was very efficient and easy to interpret. This made the results part of the project very straightforward. We also recorded pupils’ blogs which meant we were able to back up our quantitative results and give them a more personal touch.
Most of our activities and lessons were able to be completed and our estimated timeline was correct. We had originally planned different tasks for pupils to take part in, including learning how to summersault. This would have been a daunting skill for most to learn, and a good test of their growth mindset. However, due to time constraints and timetabling issues, it became very difficult to facilitate these lessons and get use of the gym hall. This opportunity to experience practical experiential learning would have enhanced the pupil’s understanding of growth mindset and enjoyment of the whole project. This is something we would definitely look to include in the future.
Overall, the project met our expectations as we managed to ensure that a rigorous approach was taken, and that best practice was followed and implemented. The data gathered and analysed, illustrated that our aim for the project was achieved. We were thrilled with the progress and development of the learners. Before starting the project, we had identified aspects which we wanted to explore to ensure a broader experience for the pupils and to maximise the time we had with them. We would have liked to implement an element of outdoor learning, and learning within PE, to supplement the work in the classroom and bring growth mindset to life. A couple of barriers that we could not overcome stopped us achieving this, which was disappointing. However, we managed to modify our plan and resources to maximise classroom based learning.
Overall, we felt that the project was a success, as evidenced in the sections below:
Quantitative data
Evidence gathered from our questionnaires indicated that there had been a small but significant shift towards a growth mindset for all our participants. This was a pleasant surprise as we did not expect a shift for all pupils. Data suggested that 6 out of our 15 participants still had a fixed mindset (a score of under 4), but many had moved towards a growth mindset. Hopefully, more progress will be made as we carry on our work of embedding growth mindset into our wider school curriculum. Some 60% of our participants saw a shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset over the course of our project. On average the questionnaire scores rose from 3.39 to 4.49, by the end of the project. These results exceeded our expectations.
Pupil Blogs
We also collated qualitative data from pupil blogs, giving us more in-depth insight into how much pupils had learned and how much they had enjoyed the process. One pupil stated, "sometimes I can feel a bit shy when I am answering out in class...and I feel like growth mindset has helped me with that and helped me take on more challenging tasks.". It was clear the project gave pupils more confidence. When speaking about presenting at school assembly, one pupil before it said, "I felt terrified to speak at assembly". But afterwards, when asked how they felt, said, "I felt a lot more positive, I had been pushed massively out of my comfort zone." Overall, the findings from the blog were amazingly positive and clearly backed up and supported our quantitative data.
There has been a positive impact from our project, but the scale of the success at this stage is hard to tell. The target S4 class were clearly impacted and this was showcased in their ability to speak in front of 300 of their peers at a school assembly. This could only have been achieved with increased confidence, which we feel was a result of the project. Interestingly, there was also a real change in attendance. We hope that this will also improve attainment for pupils longer-term, as they spend more time engaging with school and their learning. The whole S4 year group have also benefited to some degree, from the project. They learned about growth mindset at the school assembly from their peers. Time will tell what impact this has had on them.
Staff were really interested in the project, and there was lots of professional dialogue over the course of this project. Teachers were interested in the pupil journey and the concept of growth mindset. Hopefully, this will inspire them to include this in their classroom based and practical lessons going forward.
Below is a photograph of the pupils presenting about growth mindset at a school assembly.
We sought the views of colleagues who were unconnected with the project. There was great engagement and they asked questions around how we delivered the project, including:
Overall, colleagues would have made limited changes to the project and were impressed by our results.
Our plan is to make this project part of the ‘learning life and work skills’ course. We feel this is appropriate for the calibre and stage of the pupils on this course. Experiencing this project will help S4 pupils to perform better in exams and equip them with useful skills for learning. We also want to incorporate parts of the project into our PSHE (Personal Social Health Education) lessons, for all S4 pupils. This is a mandatory class for all pupils, taught once a week by their guidance teacher and covering life skills and issues. This would be an ideal setting to get teachers and pupils talking and thinking about growth mindset, and the impact it can have. Lastly, and potentially most importantly, we want to tell all staff about our project, and educate them on growth mindset so they can foster it in their own classroom. The plan is to hold a whole staff CLPL on an inset day and set up a practical workshop so staff can work through different growth mindset activities. If staff can appreciate the importance of growth mindset, they can share with pupils how integral to success it can be.