“I’m not a math person.” “I’m just not good at math.” “Math has never been my thing.” Sound familiar? From children to adults, it’s not uncommon to hear these phrases in response to a math-related task. For many, there’s a perceived notion that there are simply people who “get” math and others who don’t (and never will). The realities about mindset tell us that’s simply not true.
Everyone can be a math person! Yes, equations, graphs, and diagrams can be overwhelming and confusing at times, but math skills are not fixed skills. They can be learned, developed, and mastered with practice, but students must first believe that they’re capable of learning new skills. How can you do this in the classroom? It’s important to help students do away with negative self-talk and embrace a growth mindset approach in math.
Read on to learn how to encourage a growth mindset in your math classroom and find resources, like printable posters, to shift your students’ thinking.
What is a math growth mindset?
A growth mindset refers to viewing challenges and setbacks as an opportunity for growth, not a chance to fail. Carol Dweck coined this idea in her research and subsequent book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. People with a growth mindset believe they can improve their intelligence, talents, and skills through hard work and learning. Those who adopt a growth mindset are more likely to put more effort into learning, see feedback as a learning opportunity, and embrace lifelong learning.
Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset
With a fixed mindset, people see their intelligence, talents, and skills as unchangeable. Individuals with a fixed mindset are more likely to give up easily, ignore feedback from others, and avoid challenges. Dweck found that students who believed their intelligence could be developed (growth mindset) outperformed those who believed their intelligence could not change (fixed mindset). Dweck also noticed students did better when they learned they could “grow their brains” and increase their abilities.
Why are growth mindsets crucial for learning math?
Math and a growth mindset go hand in hand. Students will face frustrations, failures, excitements, and successes in math, and mindset is key for forward-thinking progress. When students develop strong math mindsets, they will be better equipped to take risks, try new problems, and believe they can learn more in math.
One key element of a growth mindset is the power of “yet.” Imagine a student approaches a division problem slightly above their current level of understanding. A student with a fixed mindset might say, “I don’t know how to do long division,” and feel discouraged, embarrassed, or unmotivated to try any next steps. On the other hand, a student with a growth mindset would think, “I don’t know how to do long division…yet.” The second student believes they can develop their math abilities over time and will be more motivated to learn.
Growth mindsets in math can also help students overcome math anxiety. As students experience their personal math growth, they will be more inclined to try advanced math problems without fearing failure, knowing that mistakes do not define them or their intelligence.
How to foster a growth mindset in your math classroom
Mindset can greatly impact student learning and engagement in math. Wondering how to teach a growth mindset in the classroom? How do you go about developing these skills in practical ways? Incorporate these tips to foster a math growth mindset in your classroom.
- Focus on the Process: Oftentimes in math, students will solely focus on getting the right answer. But there’s so much more to learning than acing an assignment. Encourage students to practice, ask for help, try new strategies, and enjoy the learning process.
- Embrace Mistakes: Making a mistake isn’t the end of the world. Mistakes are learning opportunities! Help students realize that mistakes are tools to improve their learning rather than something to avoid by creating a welcoming environment where students are comfortable taking risks.
- Change Your Words: Words and thoughts have power. Teach students to reframe their thinking through positive self-talk and affirmations. Instead of thinking of or saying a fixed mindset statement, like “I’m bad at math,” use a growth mindset statement, like “If I work hard, I can get better at math.”
Math growth mindset resources
Growth mindset math activities can become a part of your daily classroom routine. Incorporate math discourse, real-world learning, classroom rewards, and game-based practice reinforcing student risk-taking and effort. Display posters that remind students they can always learn more. Encourage students to approach math with a positive growth mindset with printable resources from ExploreLearning. Download these growth mindset posters to display in your classroom.
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