Research Findings
Results from Survey completed in January
Results (self-reported) indicate our students possessed a strong growth mindset coming into this semester.
~75% scored 4-5
(disagree/strongly disagree) in response to: You have a certain amount of intelligence and you can't really do much to change it. AND If you have to work hard at something, it means you're not very smart or very good at it. |
~75% scored 4-5
(agree/strongly agree) in response to: I like to learn new things, even if they are hard or don't come easily to me. AND I appreciate when my parents, coaches, teachers, and peers give me feedback about my performance. |
*Outlier* ~75% scored 3-5 (disagree/strongly disagree)
in response to: I prefer when I can do something easily without making a lot of mistakes |
Takeaways from student interviews
When asked to share which types of activities were most helpful and useful in developing a growth mindset, students overwhelmingly shared examples of experiences outside of the classroom. In these interviews, most students referred to extracurriculars including athletics, theater, debate, internships, etc.
This prompted us to modify the second survey (May) to ask students to evaluate the extent to which their experiences inside the classroom gave them opportunities to:
This prompted us to modify the second survey (May) to ask students to evaluate the extent to which their experiences inside the classroom gave them opportunities to:
- make mistakes or fail
- embrace challenges and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow
- improve their talents and abilities if they practice and work hard at something
- receive and apply meaningful feedback on their work
- Seek out new or different tools and resources when they faced challenges or setbacks
Results from survey completed in may
Results (self-reported) from students in AP Lit and the other EIV courses were limited, but responses included:
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Compared to students who participated in our signature programs (also self-reported):
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If We could do it all again...
Study limitations include:
Challenges and setbacks:
- Study conducted over a single semester. A year-long study may have shown more significant growth and presented more opportunities to practice and reflect on the process of building a growth mindset
- Small sample size. Fewer students from the AP and other EIV courses participated in the surveys and interviews, which meant we had a limited number of responses to compare between the two groups.
Challenges and setbacks:
- Time. It was difficult to find class time for students to engage in these activities, especially students in AP and other EIV courses, as these course are facilitated by other teachers.
- Engagement. Second semester seniors…
- Quantitative data. Through one-on-one interviews, written reflections, and in-class discussions, we were able to gather a considerable amount of valuable qualitative data, but it was difficult to create a survey to accurately measure growth in this area.
Moving forward, we plan to:
Continue to incorporate direct instruction and active reflection around “soft skills” such as growth mindset, empathy, humility, integrity, etc.
- While these attitudes/mindsets may be difficult to define and assess, we found that providing resources to facilitate meaningful discussion improved students’ ability to demonstrate awareness and growth (internalization) of these skills over the course of the semester.
- Students need to be given “safe” (ie: ungraded) opportunities to make mistakes and to receive and apply meaningful feedback. Real-world/experiential learning environments are ideal for offering these types of opportunities, but these types of experiences can also be offered in a more traditional classroom setting.