GROWTH MINDSET  The concept of a growth mindset was developed by psychologist Carol Dweck and popularized in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In recent years, many schools and educators have started using Dweck’s theories to inform how they teach students.  A mindset, according to Dweck, is a self-perception or “self-theory” that people hold about themselves. Believing that you are either “intelligent” or “unintelligent” is a simple example of a mindset. People may also have a mindset related their personal or professional lives—“I’m a good teacher” or “I’m a bad parent,” for example. People can be aware or unaware of their mindsets, according to Dweck, but they can have profound effect on learning achievement, skill acquisition, personal relationships, professional success, and many other dimensions of life.  Dweck’s educational work centers on the distinction between “fixed” and “growth” mindsets. According to Dweck, “In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.” Dweck’s research suggests that students who have adopted a fixed mindset—the belief that they are either “smart” or “dumb” and there is no way to change this, for example—may learn less than they could or learn at a slower rate, while also shying away from challenges (since poor performance might either confirm they can’t learn, if they believe they are “dumb,” or indicate that they are less intelligent than they think, if they believe they are “smart”). Dweck’s findings also suggest that when students with fixed mindsets fail at something, as they inevitably will, they tend to tell themselves they can’t or won’t be able to do it (“I just can’t learn Algebra”), or they make excuses to rationalize the failure (“I would have passed the test if I had had more time to study”).  Alternatively, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,” writes Dweck. Students who embrace growth mindsets—the belief that they can learn more or become smarter if they work hard and persevere—may learn more, learn it more quickly, and view challenges and failures as opportunities to improve their learning and skills.  

Reform  Dweck’s delineation between fixed and growth mindsets has potentially far-reaching implications for schools and teachers, since the ways in which students think about learning, intelligence, and their own abilities can have a significant effect on learning progress and academic improvement. If teachers encourage students to believe that they can learn more and become smarter if they work hard and practice, Dweck’s findings suggest, it is more likely that students will in fact learn more, and learn it faster and more thoroughly, than if they believe that learning is determined by how intelligent or unintelligent they are. Her work has also shown that a “growth mindset” can be intentionally taught to students. Teachers might, for example, intentionally praise student effort and perseverance instead of ascribing learning achievements to innate qualities or talents—e.g., giving feedback such as “You must have worked very hard,” rather than “You are so smart.”  

 Reference:  

Great Schools Partnership 2014, Growth Mindset, viewed 3rd July 2015, <http://edglossary.org/growth-mindset/>.    

 Increasing Number of Girls Doing Physics in Years 10 and 11  

Discussion Paper  March 2015  

Prepared by Eroia Barone-Nugent  Goal is to increase the number of girls studying physics in year 10 which will support

their study of physics into years 11 and 12.    Summary of Readings from Literature    The achievement levels of girls in science and maths are consistent with those for boys. The education literature strongly indicates that the lack of sustained engagement of girls for the sciences and maths are not due to lack of ability. There are several broad factors that direct girls away from choosing these areas of study:    

1. Lack of self-efficacy where girls develop a strong sense that they are not able in these areas;

2. Lack of science or maths – identity where girls cannot relate to the area of study or the people or groups representing these areas. This is predominantly in broader society, and is linked to the paucity or lack or role models (female or not) associated with these areas of study; this is most acute for physics and maths;

3. Stereotypes of what scientists and mathematicians are like; this is impacted by a broad social construct, and a lack or representative role models. This is most acute for physics and maths;

4. Lack of understanding of pathways that can be derived by the study of these subjects and a sense of empowerment to pursue a wide range of pathways and opportunities through the study of science and maths. This is most acute for physics;

5. Girls perceive a lack of importance of physics and maths to society and individuals, from the perspective that they can directly help or improve outcomes for people. Amongst the natural sciences this is most acute for physics, and also maths.

 Overview  Using the constructs of decision theory and general systems theory, a mindset is a set of assumptions, methods, or notations held by one or more people or groups of people that is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviours, choices, or tools). We refer to the overall understanding of how mindsets are formed as mindset theory. Furthermore if mindsets become fixed then students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits.  With regard to our interest of why girls are not taking and persisting with physics to Year 11 and 12 we need to consider these factors that contribute to the derivation of girls’ mindset that they are not choosing to enrol in physics.  In contrast to fixed mindsets we need to promote growth mindset (students recognise that their abilities can be developed). Mindset is most effectively changed through constructing new experiences that challenge the original ideas (constructivist experience).    Goal  

Our goal is to develop growth mindset of students in year 10 students by using authentic learning pedagogy in a t physics elective subject, in order to support their understanding the benefits of enrolling in physics to Year 11 & 12.    Growing Tall Poppies Pedagogy    Learning is a process of transforming the way you think through experience.  Teaching includes the process of constructing environments which contain a spectrum of experiences that allows students to make links between different parts of a complex system that lets them make sense of the world.  Students should be able to:  ● identify how the different science disciplines of science work together and inform one

another to solve difficult, complex and important questions for people to improve the way we live;  

● identify the meaningfulness and importance of what physical scientists do and how they are contribute to solving biological questions that cannot be addressed by biological method alone;  

● recognise that science is not nerdy or for old men;  ● recognise that sciences can provide exciting careers that contribute to making the

world a better place;  ● encourage girls to choose to study physics and chemistry;  ● value the physical sciences as contributing to peoples’ lives as well as biological

sciences;  ● inquire confidently and construct methods of collecting data to understand the world;  ● analyse and use logic to support the decisions they make.  ● It is about experience and inquiry into why we do science the way we do and what is

it to be a scientist, it is not about increasing content delivery or learning;  ● challenge students’ mindset.

 Using this pedagogy GTP utilises Growth Mindset Theory to:    ● Increase sense of importance and relevance of physics  ● Improve understanding of career pathways and opportunities  ● Remove/reduce/reform stereotypes and expectations of what it is to be do physics  ● Improve students’ self- efficacy (capacity to do and achieve in physics)  ● Provide role models and visuals of what this career path looks like.  ● Provide opportunities to develop a sense of identity (Math/ Physics identity)  

 Proposal for discussion    Change unit sequence in year 9 and offering an extension physics subject in Year 10.    ● The year 9 science compulsory unit to be moved to term 2 in preparation for

selections of extension subjects/option in Year 10.    ● Year 10 physics elective is introduced.  

Provide elective options at Year 10 in semester 1 to ensure excitement and redirecting of potential mindsets about physics and have time to decide.    Discussion points:  ● The compulsory physics subject in year 9 needs to provides clear understanding of

why studying physics is empowering.  

● Teacher development in curriculum delivery to identify physics unit for year 10.  ● Reorganising the current Biology and Psychology units and delivery in semester 2.  ● Physics unit can be ‘physics for life choices’ or ‘be an innovator and designer’.  ● Evaluate the outcomes in the affective domain – change mindset, and increase

enrolments to Year 12 Physics.