The need for a Growth Mindset in the Classroom
As educators, when we exit the classroom, how many times have we thought about the learning of the students? How many times have we measured the impact of our teaching on them? Do we only think about the completion of the course curriculum in the classroom or something more?
Well, in the 17 plus years that I have spent teaching, I have realized that a growth mindset is greatly required – not just for faculty but also for the students. It is actually conspicuous by its absence most of the time.
What is this growth mindset that I am referring to? Well, it is a state of mind that acknowledges that individuals can develop themselves, if they work hard and are persistent in their efforts. They can succeed in everything that they do, provided they do not give up. They can achieve their goals if they are able to leverage their strengths, their abilities and channelize in the right direction.
The students need to be motivated to take ownership of their learning. The students need to look forward to attending the class. They should come with a positive mindset and grasp all that they can. They should be prepared to deal with failures, with low scores in their evaluations, and aspire to improve themselves to do better. Their concern should not be on the marks or grades but more on learning and knowledge.
As students, it is natural that they will make mistakes, there will be errors in their work, or some faults in the assignments, or blunders in the tasks assigned. The focus of the learners should be to learn from their mistakes and move on. They should not let negativity or demotivation affect them. Their actions, their behaviour, their language, their attitude must ooze positivity – only then they can grow, both personally and professionally. And this growth mindset in the classroom is applicable not just for the learners but also the educators.
A lot of effort is required on the part of the educators to inculcate a growth mindset, first in themselves, and then in their students.
One of the primary things they need to ensure is that there should not be any rote learning. Focus should be on understanding the concepts and acquiring the ability to apply them in real-world problems. If the goal of a faculty is only to ensure that students get passing marks, scores, or grades, and think that is where their responsibility ends, the purpose of education gets defeated. In fact, the learning environment in the classroom should be such that they cultivate curiosity amongst the learners and encourage them to participate in the class discussions, be serious about enhancing their conceptual and domain knowledge as much as they can.
The faculty needs to understand that their role is not merely teaching the subject assigned to them but motivating the students by providing unconditional support and guiding them in all possible ways. They must create an enabling environment in the classroom which helps the students to achieve their potential. They must stimulate in the students a passion towards their self-development. They must make students who are goal oriented. It is the role of the educator to instill in them a sense of continuous improvement. They should not pinpoint mistakes of the students or insult them in the class or say things which can hurt the student or make them loose their self-confidence. Rather, the faculty should use encouraging words to boost the morale of their students, praise them whenever possible,
A faculty can play a significant role in the life of the student and bring about a radical transformation if they make a conscious effort to develop a growth mindset inside the classroom. This growth mindset can be a game changer for all the students. They will appreciate the value of hard work and putting effort to acquire skills and develop abilities. It can help them become resilient in the face of adversity and challenges. They will be able to handle all kinds of situations, reduce their anxiety levels and even make them emotionally stronger than before. They would develop a positive outlook towards life. With increased motivation, they would be more interested in improving their academic acumen and self-growth. These students would have increased adaptability and flexibility. More importantly, they would be open to criticism and feedback, and have a willingness to improve themselves. This growth mindset would prepare the students to take risks, innovate and be experimentative.
By developing a growth mindset inside the classroom, the faculty would actually be doing a great favor on the recruiters also. These students would be readily accepted by the industry and with this attitude, their future employers would find they an easy fit in their organizations. During my teaching tenure at The NorthCap University, this is what I endeavor to achieve. At the end after all, it is a win-win for all stakeholders.
Authored By
Dr. Sona Vikas
Professor
Department of Management and Commerce
The NorthCap University Gurugram
sonavikas@ncuindia.edu