Think back to a time when you were in a classroom, perhaps confronted with a challenging maths problem. This could have happened recently or many years ago. How did you respond? Some students feel immediately overwhelmed and give up, (16)______. Others embrace the challenge, making an effort to tackle it and hoping to gain knowledge even if they do not succeed.
Early in her career, psychologist Carol Dweck at Stanford University (17)______, presenting problems slightly beyond their current abilities. One group responded positively, enjoying the challenge and demonstrating confidence in their capacity to develop. Dweck termed this a “growth mindset,” focused on learning and future progress. Another group felt their intelligence was being judged, interpreting failure as a lack of ability. These children exhibited a “fixed mindset,” struggling to envision improvement.
Dweck emphasizes that traditional praise for talent or intelligence can instill a fear of failure. (18)______. She argues that recognition should instead highlight effort, strategies, persistence, and incremental improvement.
Research confirms these insights. Students who were taught that grappling with difficult material strengthens neural connections advanced faster than their peers. In one study, underperforming children on a Native American reservation practiced growth mindset techniques for a year, (19)______.
Returning to the initial question: Do you tend to embrace challenges and make a genuine effort to learn? If so, you already demonstrate a growth mindset. If not, it is never too late. With deliberate effort and effective strategies, (20)______.