4 Ways to Help Your Students Develop a Growth Mindset in Math

According to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, children with a positive attitude towards math in school were more likely to succeed in solving a math problem than those with a negative attitude. Study author Professor Vinod Menon says, “We saw that if you have a strong interest and self-perceived ability in math, it results in enhanced memory and more efficient engagement of the brain’s problem-solving capacities.” Read more about the study here.

A positive attitude and growth mindset are critical for math learning. They can help students persevere and see the rewards of productive struggle. Without a growth mindset, it becomes easy for students (and adults!) to fall into a pattern of avoiding risks and feeling defeated.

Sami Briceño, one of our Master Math Practitioners, recently shared a few strategies for helping students develop a growth mindset:

1. Give students quality math tasks. “Students can grasp high-level ideas, but they will not develop the brain connections that allow them to do so if they are given low-level work and negative messages about their own potential.” (Boaler & Foster, 2014)
    
2. Create a culture that recognizes and values mistakes as opportunities to learn. Brain growth comes from the experience of struggle. Being outside your comfort zone is an extremely important place to be!
    
3. Utilize peer-/self-assessment, feedback and revision in the math classroom. Research shows that only providing positive examples does not eliminate some of the incorrect things students may think. Consistent peer analysis helps students analyze their own work for errors and correctness.
   
   
    
4. Be mindful of mindset messages you and your students communicate to yourselves and each other. Words have power!