Beliefs About Ability
Beliefs held about ability are developed over time based upon individual experiences and influenced by those around us. Look through the statements below and make a mental note of those with which you agree or disagree:
- Students are smart in so many different ways. Some are intelligent in math, while others are intelligent in language arts. Some are great analytical thinkers, while others are creative.
- Students are born with a certain potential, but effort or lack thereof will greatly influence that potential.
- Some students are more developmentally ready to learn specific content than others at any given time; so they can reach the same goals, but on individual time lines.
- Students are either smart or not. There isn’t much you can really do about it.
How many of these beliefs did you find you hold to be true? In reality, each of these is a myth about learning. Knowing how students learn and the mindsets that drive their learning helps teachers to create more meaningful, appropriate instruction. The beliefs we hold about ability can be powerful influences or detriments to motivation. How we design instruction, based on our beliefs about student ability, reflects our understanding and appreciation of our students and what they bring to educational encounters.
Watch the video clip below to hear Carol Dweck, expert on student mindsets, shares her findings about the differences between growth and fixed mindsets and how these mindsets affect students.