Growth Mindset

Behavioral Studies

The belief, described by Carol Dweck, that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, strategy and persistence, as opposed to a fixed mindset that sees them as static.

Students with a growth mindset tend to embrace challenge, persist through setbacks and view effort as a path to mastery. Educators foster it through praise for process rather than innate talent and through framing mistakes as learning opportunities.

Related Terms
Self-Efficacy
An individual's belief in their own capacity to succeed at a specific task or in a particular situation, a concept central to the work of Albert Bandura.
Motivation
The internal and external forces that initiate, direct and sustain goal-directed behaviour, including learning.
Metacognition
Awareness and control of one's own thinking and learning processes, often described as 'thinking about thinking'.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
The ability to recognise, understand, manage and use one's own emotions and to perceive and influence the emotions of others.
Grit
Perseverance and sustained passion for long-term goals, described by Angela Duckworth as a predictor of achievement beyond talent alone.