Identifying your mindset
You might find it interesting to reflect on your current mindset. Identifying a mindset can help you to think about assumptions you make about yourself as a student.
This table shows some typical responses related to mindset. Start by thinking about your response to each question in the first column – you might like to jot down some notes. Now compare your answers with the comments associated with each mindset in the other two columns.
| Question | Fixed mindset | Growth mindset |
|---|---|---|
| What do you think about intelligence? | You’re either born with it, or not. It’s not something you can change. | It’s not determined by biology alone. It can be developed. |
| How do you approach new study tasks? | I’d rather stick to the kinds of things that I know I can do. | I’m excited by new ideas and activities. |
| How do you feel about assessments? | I’m afraid that other people will think less of me if I get poor results. | I feel pressured to work hard because I know it will make a difference to my results. |
| Are you willing to take risks? | I’d rather not run the risk of making mistakes. | If I make a mistake, at least I can learn from it. |
| You get a low mark for an assignment. How do you respond? | This proves that I’m not really capable of doing this, or that I picked the wrong subject. | This shows that I need to work harder. |
| You get a high mark for an assignment. How do you respond? | I’m afraid that I won’t be able to maintain this standard in future. | This shows what I can achieve when I set my mind on something. |
| How do you feel about seeking support from your tutor or other students? | If I ask for help, other people will see me as not very competent. | No problem. Other people are a great resource to learn from. |
What next?
If your responses are similar to those associated with a fixed mindset, consider these questions.
- How does your mindset influence you as a student?
- What could be different?
- What could help you to change your mindset?
If you seem to have a growth mindset, consider these questions.
- How does your mindset affect the way you learn?
- How can you make the most of this mindset?
- What could help to reinforce and maintain this mindset?
Taking time to think about these questions could help you to develop your skills as a reflective learner.
For more information
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – link to a podcast interview with Carol Dweck about her book.