This new knowledge that we have obtained about entity and incremental theory will pay a major role in structuring our teaching practice. It’s also helps change and shape our previous views on how we may manage children in the school environment.

 

Our newly found knowledge has helped us realise the importance of fixed and malleable mindsets in social disputes at school and how addressing the mindsets of students can help resolve issues such as bullying. As Yeager & Dweck  (2012) explain that “adolescents increasingly seem to believe that social labels, once acquired, are fixed entities that cannot change” (p. 306). This helps us recognise that students (especially students in years 7 to 12) may view themselves or others with a fixed mind set, therefore believing that change isn’t possible. For example viewing someone as a bully and believing that they will always be a bully.

 

As teachers we are going to encounter various forms of bullying in the school grounds, to help resolve disputes at schools in a positive manner we now know that we need to encourage incremental thinking in all students concerned. When trying to resolve cases of bullying, if the victim is aware of incremental theory in a social context they are less likely to retaliate with aggression or seek revenge toward the bully. This is supported by Yeager & Dweck  (2012) statement “learning an incremental theory might reduce the desire for aggressive retaliation by allowing adolescents to see their future as more hopeful and by creating a greater desire to understand the motives of transgressors” (p. 307). This is important because physical violence is a common response to bullying in high school and need discouraged.     

 

In the case of the bully incremental theory can be used to explain that they can learn from their mistakes in order to change their behaviour. This can be done by addressing self-esteem in counselling sessions. Talking individually to students with behavioural problems and directing their energy into activities that might lead to personal success and recognition, for example sport or art. By doing this students can achieve a boost in self-esteem which may decrease the likelihood for them wanting to repeat past negative behaviours.

 

 Knowledge of incremental and entity self-theory has brought to our attention that the way teachers communicate and convey information impacts student mindset and how they learn. As Yeager & Dweck  (2012) say “Students’ mindsets can be affected by the subtle messages they receive from adults” (p. 310) We now know that the way we offer praise and feedback in the classroom is particularly important in developing student mindset as well as having an effect on the learning strategies that students choose to use in the future.

 

In order to promote an incremental mindset in students we will avoid praising the student’s intelligence, this is where the student is praised for being smart. As Yeager & Dweck  (2012) says that we should avoid “praising kids for being smart as it can promote a fixed mindset” (p.  310). For example using language such as “well done you scored very high on the test you must be very smart” (Cooley, 2015). Instead we will offer effort praise, where students are praised for the process that they used to learn; acknowledge their effort and offer advice on how they can improve the strategies they used in their learning.

 

This new knowledge also helps understand how to deal with struggling students and how to use communication to motivate students to have the desire to improve their learning. We will use language that promotes a malleable view on learning. Rather than offering reassurance to struggling students by communicating in a way that promotes an entity view towards the subject for example “it not your fault you did badly this just isn’t your subject” (Cooley, 2015). Its important that we further motivate students to improve by offering positive feedback and suggesting a variety of ways students can improve learning strategies in order to improve their intelligence.

 

When teachers display and incremental attitude toward the subject, students are more likely to be more motivated to improve their grades (Yeager & Dweck , 2012). So overall ensuring students are taking on an incremental view is extremely import; as discussed in our concept map those with an incremental or malleable mindset are more likely to achieve positive learning outcomes than those with a fixed or entity mindset.

 

 

References

 

Yeager, D., Dweck, C., 2012, 'Mindsets that promote resilience : when students believe that personal characteristics can be developed', Educational Psychologist, 47, 4, 302-314