Mindset:
The Psychology of
Learning and
Achievement
Module 1: Mindsets
Made or born?
What we’ll be looking at
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Are we born smart or stupid?
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Is intelligence fixed from birth?
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Do we have ‘built-in’ talents as a baby?
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Or… do talents, abilities and intelligence
itself grow from experience??
Born SMART….?
Importance of development
At birth, we can’t WALK or TALK
These abilities don’t pop up
overnight….
….. they DEVELOP as we LEARN!!
So, are we born…
Good at maths?
Good at acting?
Good at science?
Good at music?
Was Einstein born a genius?
Was Michael Jordan born
slam dunking?
‘Maybe’
Was Beyonce born a
POPSTAR?
What can we learn about learning
from animals?
Ratty intellect…
Lab rats were placed in 2 different environments:
BORING
Nothing to do in
the cage but eat
and sleep
– No stimulation
EXCITING
Cage had
opportunities for
rats to play and
interact
– Lots of
stimulation
Rat results
After a while, the
stimulated rats were
found to be smarter
than the boring rats.
Their brains were
even HEAVIER than
the boring rats.
What do you think?
Are our abilities
determined from
birth?
People have increased
their IQ by 30 POINTS
With the right mindset people can
achieve more than an IQ test might
reveal.
Two beliefs about
intelligence
Fixed mindset
Believes:
Intelligence is CARVED
IN STONE
Scores in a test
MEASURE POTENTIAL
Intelligent people
shouldn’t have to
WORK HARD
Failure reflects a LACK
of INTELLIGENCE
Growth mindset
Believes:
Intelligence is
MALLEABLE
Learning requires HARD
WORK and EFFORT
ALL individuals CAN
LEARN and improve
We CANNOT MEASURE a
person’s POTENTIAL
Thinking about mindset
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OBSERVE the mindset you adopt
You can CHOOSE to adopt a growth
mindset
When you meet challenges REMIND
yourself about the growth mindset
Module 2: The Brain
Facts about the brain…
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The brain weighs
1,300 – 1,400 grams
It is made up of
100 Billion Neurons
Forming different areas
called
Lobes
Frontal
Lobe
Parietal
Lobe
Occipital
Lobe
Temporal
Lobe
The Frontal lobe is used
for:
Emotion
 Reasoning
 Speech
 Motion
 Planning
 Problem solving
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The Parietal lobe is
used in:
Touch
 Pressure
 Temperature
 Pain
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The Temporal lobe is
used for:
The
Temporal
lobe is used for…
Hearing
&
 Memory
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The Occipital lobe is
used for:
Vision
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We use this lobe to
process what we see
All of the lobes, and all their
functions, are important in
everyday life.
The different parts of the brain let us
do things
think things
remember things
Homunculus
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A homunculus is used to
describe the relative
amount of space our
body parts occupy in the
brain.
In a model of motor
functions, some parts
are much bigger because
we use them much more,
or with more accuracy.
Brain space…
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The more we use a part
of our body, the more
space our brain needs
to control or interpret
it.
In fact, by learning the
brain may have to
change the space it
uses to account for
new abilities.
Sound centre
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People who play music
have been found to have
auditory centres that
are BIGGER than
normal.
The ‘sound’ area of their
brain grew through
practising their music.
Neurons
All of the areas of the brain… like sound,
communication, problem-solving… are made of cells
called NEURONS
They transmit information all around the brain.
Neurons pass information through
CONNECTIONS with other neurons at
SYNAPSES
Learning helps our neurons GROW.
The more we learn, the more connections
they make.
People with large auditory areas in
their brain grew lots more neuron
connections in the sound area…
…through lots and lots of practice.
What about your brain?
What areas do you think are bigger in
your brain than in other people’s?
What areas would you like to get even
bigger and stronger?
What areas would you like to fix?
Module 3: ‘Fail your way
to success’
Andy Murray lost his
first four grand slam finals…
He went on to win the Olympic games
gold medal and the U.S. open.
‘Failure’
Walt Disney was fired by a
newspaper editor because…
"he lacked imagination and had no good
ideas”
In school Robin Williams was voted…
‘‘least likely to succeed’’
Different ways people
view failure
Some people view it as a
learning opportunity. They value
learning.
While others view it as
confirmation that they are not
smart.
Why do people have different
views of failure? Because they
have different goals….
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Some people
create learning
goals.
Others create
performance
goals.
Think of a time when you didn’t
enjoy doing something…
a test, a sport, a drawing –
-
What goal did you have?
-
Did you want to show a teacher how clever
you were ?
-
Was it a performance goal?
-
What would you do next time this happens?
Write down why it may be better to
have learning goals
Module 4: ‘How people
cope with failure’
Response to failure
SOME PEOPLE…
OTHERS…
BLAME themselves,
Don’t think that they
are failing, so BLAME
NO ONE
Feel DEPRESSED
and
GIVE UP trying
KEEP GOING and
Remain HOPEFUL that
they will get there
Helpless response
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Unmotivated
Lack of perseverance
Decreased enjoyment
Depressed
Anxious
Responsible for the
setback
Disengaged and avoid
getting involved with
studying
Mastery response
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View setback as a
challenge
Try harder
Look for other ways
to do things
Consider many
different points
Engage with the
problem?
50/50
People display one or the other response.
In some areas they may react with a
mastery response and in others a helpless
response.
Brain imaging and response
to failure
People with a fixed
mindset pay
attention to how
they feel (i.e.
stressed, anxious).
Those feelings then
get in the way of
learning.
Write down on your piece of paper
why it might be better to show a
‘mastery response’
rather than a ‘helpless response’
when confronted with failure
Mastery response
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View setback as a
challenge
Try harder
Look for other ways
to do things
Consider many
different points
Engage with the
problem?
Looking at these benefits,
think about how this applies to your
life.
Do you view failure as an opportunity
to learn and improve?
Michael Jordan’s coach said that there
were many more talented people than
him….
What made Jordan special?
Do you agree that he failed his way to
success?
Do you avoid or give up on
certain tasks…
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because they are hard?
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to avoid failing?
Next time you get feedback or
marks that you didn’t want…
think about what you can learn
What do you believe about
effort?
Do you believe that hard work and
effort can help you to improve?
or
Do you believe that putting effort in
only shows that you were not good at
it in the first place?
Think about your hero…
Do you think of this as someone with
extraordinary abilities who achieved
things with little effort?
Will Smith
Now go and find out the
truth!
Find out the tremendous effort that
went into their accomplishments
and admire them even more.
Wilma Rudolph
Mindset tips
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Try out new strategies
Find learning information in failure
Remember marks do not show your
potential - they only show how you
are doing right NOW.
If you are having difficulties finding
new strategies or learning
information ask someone who could
help you.
Module 5: Mindset and
success
2 Mindsets recap:
Fixed mindset
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Belief that ability
is fixed
People are born
smart/sporty etc
Depressed after
failure
Put in less effort
Don’t try new
strategies
Growth mindset
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Belief that people can
grow and develop
See failure/setback as
a learning opportunity
Put in effort and
persist
Try alternative routes
to success
Write down 3 things you know
about a GROWTH mindset
Now put the paper in a pile on your
table
Write down 3 things you know
about a FIXED mindset
Then fold the paper and put it on a
pile on your table
Now stick these on the wall in 2
separate groups
a GROWTH group
and
a FIXED group
In groups discuss the benefits of a
growth mindset.
Write down 3 of these benefits…
Picture the brain forming new
connections as you meet the
challenge and learn.
Keep on going…
Is there something in your past
which you think measured you?
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Essay
Exam
Music lesson
Maths homework
Being rejected?
Now focus on that thing and put it in
the growth mindset perspective…
What did you learn from this
experience?
Write it down
Is there something that you always
wanted to do but were afraid that
you weren’t good at it?
Make a plan and do it.
Art
Science
Music
Singing
Acting
Maths
History
Football
Writing
Computing
Gaming
Politics
People are born with a love of learning.
A fixed mindset can undo this.
Mindset tips
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Create learning goals
Make plans
Imagine the brain making new connections each
time you learn something
Concentrate on believing that you can
When you meet challenges, setbacks or adversity
ask yourself ‘what can I learn from this?’
Tell other people about your growth mindset
What else have you come up with………?
Fixed mindset
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If people are either smart or not
smart, then failure means that people
are not clever…
Even though they could learn they
GIVE UP
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They feel DEPRESSED and ANXIOUS
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Don’t persevere or put effort in
Growth mindset
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Failure is an opportunity to learn and to
try out new strategies
Failure is a chance to look for learning
information and to improve performance
Marks or grades do not measure a persons
potential
Don’t see setback as a failure