Carol S. DWECK quotes
Article 1: Mind-Sets and Equitable Education
People can have two sets of beliefs about students’ intelligence. A fixed mind-set, in
which they believe that intelligence is a static trait: some students are smart and some are
not. Or they may have a growth mind-set, in which they believe intelligence can be
developed by various means – for example, through effort and instruction.
Students’ mind-sets have a direct influence on their grades. Teaching students to have a
growth mind-set (in which they believe intelligence can be developed by various means –
for example, through effort and instruction) raises their grades and achievement test
scores significantly.
Students with a fixed mind-set (in which they believe that intelligence is a static trait)
worried more about looking smart and not making mistakes, thought that needing to
make an effort to learn meant that their intelligence was deficient, and became
discouraged or defensive in the face of setbacks because they believed that setbacks
reflected limitations in their intelligence.
Messages That Promote a Growth Mind-Set
 We believe in your potential and are committed to helping everyone get smarter.
 We value (and praise) taking on challenges, exerting effort, and surmounting
obstacles more than we value (and praise) “natural” talent and easy success.
 Working hard to learn new things makes you smarter—it makes your brain grow new
connections.
 School is not a place that judges you. It is a place where people help your brain grow
new connections.
When teachers had a fixed mind-set (in which they believe that intelligence is a static
trait) the students who had entered their class as low achievers left as low achievers at the
end of the year. When teachers had a growth mind-set (in which they believe intelligence
can be developed by various means – for example, through effort and instruction),
however, many of the students who had started the year as low achievers moved up and
became moderate or even high achievers.
Teachers with a growth mind-set (in which they believe intelligence can be developed by
various means – for example, through effort and instruction) don’t just mouth the belief
that every student can learn; they are committed to finding a way to make that happen.
Teaching a growth mind-set seems to decrease or even close achievement gaps. When
Black and Latino students adopt a growth mind-set, (in which they believe intelligence
can be developed by various means – for example, through effort and instruction) their
grades and achievement test scores look more similar to those of their non-stereotyped
peers. When female students adopt a growth mind-set, their grades and achievement test
scores in mathematics become similar to those of their male classmates. In these studies,
every group seemed to benefit from holding a growth mind-set, but the stereotyped
groups gained the most (Aronson et al., 2002; Blackwell et al., 2007; Good et al., 2003).
Article 2: “It's ok — Not everyone can be good at math”: Instructors with an entity
(fixed) theory comfort (and demotivate) students by Aneeta Rattan, Catherine Good,
Carol S. Dweck
Research has shown that students' implicit theories of ability affect their motivation,
learning, and achievement outcomes. Those holding a fixed mind-set (in which they
believe that intelligence is a static trait) are particularly likely to draw conclusions about
their ability (vs. effort) from setbacks and to give up more readily when faced with
difficulty, as compared with those holding a growth mind-set (in which they believe
intelligence can be developed by various means – for example, through effort and
instruction) (Blackwell,Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 1999; Heine et al., 2001,
see also Dweck & Leggett, 1988).
Article 3 “The Effort Effect” by Marina Krakovsky
Psychology professor Carol Dweck welcomed a pair of visitors from the Blackburn
Rovers, a soccer team in the United Kingdom’s Premier League. The Rovers’ training
academy is ranked in England’s top three, yet performance director Tony Faulkner had
long suspected that many promising players weren’t reaching their potential. Ignoring the
team’s century-old motto—arte et labore, or “skill and hard work”—the most talented
individuals disdained serious training. On some level, Faulkner knew the source of the
trouble: British soccer culture held that star players are born, not made. If you buy into
that view, and are told you’ve got immense talent, what’s the point of practice? If
anything, training hard would tell you and others that you’re merely good, not great.
Faulkner had identified the problem; but to fix it, he needed Dweck’s help. The key, she
found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be
demonstrated or as something that can be developed.