Is a partial approach to growth mindset enough?

Sector: Secondary

Project Overview:

The aim of the project was to increase engagement and attainment in our history class, with a focus on concepts relating to mental attitude and neuroplasticity. Longer term, we hoped to collaborate with other teachers to see if the idea of growth mindset could be promoted across the school to support pupil attainment and engagement, as part of the school's post Covid recovery.

Critically review your project and establish if you achieved the aim of your project?:

Overall, we partially achieved the aims of the project. Pupils engaged with the mini course and were happy to do the exercises involved in the interactive workbook we produced. They liked several of the activities but preferred some to others. For example, the pupils liked the breathing exercises, but were sceptical and giggly when tasked to try meditation. They also preferred looking at role models and success stories, to learning how the brain works. Most pupils felt growth mindset could have a positive impact on overcoming challenges.

If we were to re-run the project, we would make changes to some of the activities in the mini course. Some of the tasks e.g., the 'success stories' of Scots proved to be more useful than discussing brain development. Also, for the most part, pupil attainment did not improve significantly in the 2-3 months of the project. However, this may be partly because the second assessment given was much more difficult than the first. Overall, the programme was a success, but we saw it as another useful tool rather than revolutionising how to raise attainment and engagement.

Were you able to stay within the timelines you outlined in your project plan? Critique the key factors in whether this was successful or not.:

We were able to stay within my project timelines, as we were well informed about what would be required. Writing up the project findings proved more of a challenge than implementing the concepts of growth mindset. Finding time during the working week, with the backdrop of Covid and staff absence, was predictably a limiting factor on project success. We remain hopeful, however, that there is still potential for growth mindset to change the culture of the school.

Highlight any changes that were made to the project plan following the project start date:

During the project, we added in some activities as there was room in the timetable to accommodate some additional work. As we progressed, it was evident some pupils grasped the concept of growth mindset more quickly than others. We had to revisit the underpinning principles, to help the class understand what a growth mindset might be able to do for them. We also added in a short project on success stories as the pupils could relate to this more easily than some of the other, more technical, discussions or activities (e.g., on how the brain works, or meditation).

Critically analyse the impact of your growth mindset project – what has changed? What has improved? Who has improved?:

The growth mindset project improved outcomes for some pupils and, at worst, made no difference to the outcomes for others. This seemed to align with some research from Edinburgh University: “The researchers tested more than 600 children and found that whether or not children believed basic intellectual ability can be changed had no effect on overcoming difficult challenges. Instead, perseverance and hard work were vital if pupils were to make headway. Moreover, progress would be made faster if growth mindset interventions were discarded.” This research did make us sceptical, but overall the project had a positive impact. The main challenges that we saw for growth mindset was that it cannot tackle all issues affecting pupil attainment.

Some pupils (across the ability spectrum) did benefit from the more positive attitude in the classroom. However, some pupils who already had advantages (e.g., were more self-confident, from a more prosperous background) appeared less affected by the programme. It is hard to say which pupils might already have had the fundamentals of a growth mindset instilled in them through parenting. Given that the concepts we were dealing with were relatively new and not embedded into the system, it is not a surprise that the project would only have a limited impact in its current form. Growth mindset must be seen as a broader approach to support learning and not just a topic to be completed.

What evidence do you have that your project has had an impact in your school? Please provide details of pre and post measurements along with any other objective measures you can share:

There is some evidence to suggest improved outcomes for some pupils, because of this growth mindset project. More importantly, the pupils all have a basic understanding of the concept and can take that into their later school years and life. Most pupils benefited when they adopted a growth mindset and enjoyed being rewarded when they displayed this. A lower ability pupil managed to complete all his core work, and improved in assessment, at least partly due to a change of mindset. He managed to complete a difficult question he had at first struggled with.

Some of the other pupils in the class got stuck on certain more challenging tasks. When they were reminded to use a growth mindset, the pupils re-engaged with these challenging task. This resulted in slightly improved work on the second assessment, or at least a maintenance of standards, despite more problematic language and a more difficult overall task.

Most of the pupils also displayed more subtle positive changes during the project, such as:

their attitude and engagement levels appeared to improve
they appeared to respond better to concepts they already had some knowledge of e.g., mindfulness, breathing exercises, basic psychology, and self-discipline
it was easier to engage and refocus them when they were struggling to stay on task, by talking about their approach to learning and the techniques we had used
pupils had better insight into their own behaviours and habits and how these might be affecting their learning

However, the full impact of the project will only be felt if the school fully embraces the programme and embeds it into the curriculum, within all subject areas.

Undertake critical review from your colleagues. What feedback have you had related to your growth mindset project?:

Overall, feedback from colleagues was positive. Some colleagues felt that the approach we used to produce a short course was a lot of work and could also lead the pupils to see growth mindset as a standalone topic. Some of the activities were also possibly a bit challenging for S1 pupils to engage with. Colleagues liked the idea of a baseline assessment and a second assessment to gauge progress. With hindsight, we would redesign this to focus more on assessing growth mindset. Colleagues also liked the idea of a growth mindset lottery to encourage engagement and the activities e.g., 'how my brain works' included in the interactive booklet.

Please share the next steps you have planned for this project or to implement growth mindset within your school:

Next, the project will be presented at a school In-service day. We are also summarising the projects in interactive posters for staff to explore, as well as presenting the material remotely. A working group will also meet to discuss the pros and cons of implementing a growth mindset approach, and what it means in practical terms for the school. They will consider next steps and how growth mindset can be promoted and embedded across the school.