1. Dr Sherria Hoskins, University of Portsmouth
Mindsets
Dr Sherria Hoskins, University of Portsmouth

2. Overview What is Growing Learners
Background to Theories of intelligence (Mindsets)
Exploring the existing evidence
More info on one of our RCTs
Two tips for everyday practice
What have we learned
What we do now

3. What is Growing Learners
Evidence based educational consultancy based at the University of Portsmouth:
Dr Sherria Hoskins
Dr Victoria Devonshire
Dr Emily Mason-Apps
Dr Frances Warren
Miss Mathilde Chanvin
What we have done so far...

4. Worked with PCC to explore why we have lower than average attainment in the city.
Worked with over 100 schools
EEF – Randomised control trial.
Part of the ‘Closing the Gap’ scheme (funded by National College for Teaching & Leadership)
Direct work with schools that request our support.

5. “I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures... (or the high and low ability) I divide the world into the learners and non learners.” Benjamin Barber

6. Theories of Intelligence

7. What are Mindsets? Growth Mindset Fixed Mindset
Belief that intelligence is malleable and can develop.
Success takes effort and persistence, learning from mistakes and challenges.
Fixed Mindset
Belief that intelligence is something you are born with.
Can’t change it much.

8. Helplessness orientation
Approaches to Learning:
Fixed Mindset
Growth Mindset
Intelligence is a fixed trait & can’t change much
Intelligence can be increased through practice
Focus on performance
Focus on learning
Failure and/or effort perceived as being sign of low ability
Not threatened by hard work or failure
Choose activities to maximise performance (easy ones to feel clever)
Seek new challenges for a sense of achievement
Don’t recover well from setbacks
Mistakes are perceived as a good thing as they help the learning processes
Decrease efforts, withdraw or consider cheating (self-protection)
View effort and persistence as a necessary part of success
Helplessness orientation
Mastery orientation

9. Exploring the Evidence

10. Evidence from Neuroscience
Plasticity
Neurones in the brain transmit information through connections (synapses). The more we keep our brains active through learning new information, the more connections the brain makes.
UCL - London taxi drivers.
Brain scans = larger hippocampus than others
Grew as they spent more time in the job.
Suggests brain adapts to help them learn ‘The Knowledge’ and store mental maps.

11. Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer (2007)
Outstanding performance in violinists from the Music Academy of West Berlin in Germany.
Students were divided into three groups:
The outstanding group (expected to become international solists). These were the children normally described as “super talented” and “naturally” gifted.
The extremely good group (expected to end up playing in the world’s top orchestras, but not as star soloists)
The least able group (studying to become music teachers- a course with far less stringent entry requirements)

12. Remarkably similar – e.g.
age started playing,
age they decided to become musicians,
number of teachers who had taught them.
Dramatic difference between the groups:
Number of hours spent practising by age 20
outstanding group = average of 10,000
extremely good group = 8,000
least able group = 2,000
No exceptions to this pattern.

13. Blackwell, Trzesniewski & Dweck (2007)
Study 1: Children’s theory of intelligence predicted maths grades when making transition to high school.
Pupils with growth mindsets progressed faster and outperformed pupils with fixed mindsets.
Study 2: Intervention training (Brainology)
8 week intervention with school children.
study skills and mindset workshop, vs only study skills.
mindset training promoted positive change in motivation and grades, in comparison to study skills only group.

14. Pupils randomly assigned student mentors
Good, Aronson & Inzlicht (2003)
Pupils randomly assigned student mentors
growth mindset mentoring vs anti drug mentoring.
Mindset mentees increased in maths and reading test scores compared to a control group.
Further, girls particularly benefitted in maths scores and narrowed the gender gap.
Performance suppressed by stereotype?
Boys already positive and performing well in maths.

15. No teacher intervention
US Research
May not be relevant
Small numbers
One or two schools
No teacher intervention
Sometimes no control
No long term follow up
What about the UK?

16. Scottish study

17. Pupil Intervention Teacher Intervention
The EEF Project...
Pupil Intervention Teacher Intervention
Mindset
Study Skills
The bits we are going to talk about and ask for your feedback on...
WAITING CONTROL
INSET

18. What our results show. . .??

19. How to promote a Growth Mindset
Tips on Everyday practice High expectations Focus: resilience, self-sufficiency & good learning Specific plans for growth and development Celebrating mistakes Use of role models Language/praise Modelling

20. Celebrating mistakes
The fear of making mistakes and associated shame and embarrassment can stop pupils from trying.
Don’t let pupils blame others for failure and mistakes.
Make the most of their mistakes, celebrate mistakes!
Promote challenge, effort and mistakes as part of everyone’s learning process.
When examples of attainment explore the process, effort and mistakes.
Give time each week to discuss learning via mistakes (Mistakes Board).

21. Person/ability focused feedback causes...
 …Temporary high self-esteem if performed well but longer term implications:
When challenged or fail, pupils don’t know how to put it right, and instead re-evaluate ability
Creates low self-esteem/feel bad about themselves
Avoidance of task in future
Drop in attainment over time
watch?v=mGTk6yeh9qE

22. Mueller & Dweck (1998)
Number of Problems solved
Carol Dweck talking about praise

23. Growth feedback Give ‘process praise’ Use also ‘task praise’ Effort
Strategy
Interpret setbacks as lack of effort, persistence or result of inappropriate strategies
Use also ‘task praise’
What is better/worse than the last attempt
What is/is not good, realistic, neat, correct etc. about the product

24. What we now offer.
A tool to identifying pupils’ learning orientations.
Intervention Manuals, Lesson Plans and Materials (6 weeks * 1.5 hrs or flexible)
Additional ideas for lessons
Early Years, Primary, Secondary, 16+.
Bespoke services.
Working on a second RCT (120 UK schools – train the trainer).
Project with Steve at Portsmouth College.

25. Thank you! Any questions? Phone us on 023 9284 6315
Visit
Thank you!