Building growth mindsets in learning
There’s a leading cause of disengagement in learning, and it has nothing to do with a student’s knowledge or ability. It comes down to their mindset. Have you ever heard your child claim, “I’m not a maths person” or “I’m not good at maths?”
Growing up, it’s easy to place ourselves in one of two groups: ”I’m good at this, so I’ll keep going” or “This is too hard, I’m giving up”. Even as adults, we experience this in our day-to-day lives – whether it’s cooking a new dish for dinner, trying a new hobby or considering a career change. If we don’t see immediate progress, giving up can feel like the easier option. How we approach challenges, new adventures, and learning opportunities doesn’t come down to our ability, though it’s our mindset and confidence that make the difference.
Fixed mindsets are common in learning and stem from the belief that abilities and intelligence are fixed traits you’re born with and can’t be changed. These limiting beliefs hold students back from reaching their full potential and, without the right strategies, can become overwhelming.
A growth mindset empowers learners to tackle challenges with confidence, keeping them motivated and engaged. It fosters curiosity, independence, and resilience, helping students rely less on parents for guidance at every step. For educators, this means more time for lesson planning, preparation or even a well-earned cup of tea.
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
The key to overcoming a fixed mindset is to develop a growth mindset, but this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to rewire our minds to have a positive lens, but with consistent effort from both students and parents, it’s something that is very achievable and will have a huge influence on motivation, confidence and growth in learning.
Here are our top 7 tips to help your child develop a growth mindset
1️⃣ Embrace the power of ‘yet’
Fostering a belief in growth and the opportunity to expand our understanding is the essential first step in developing a growth mindset. We can do this by simply reframing our thoughts.
“I can’t skip two on the monkey bars” -> “ I can’t skip two on the monkey bars yet but I’ll be able to if I keep practising”
“I don’t understand this maths question” -> “I don’t understand this maths question yet but with some help I’ll be able to”
The power of yet can change the way we think, speak to ourselves and approach challenges.
Watch the power of yet video
2️⃣ Explore productive struggle
You might be wondering—what exactly is productive struggle? It’s the process of working through a challenging problem or concept, pushing learners to persist. This struggle fosters a deeper understanding, strengthens problem-solving skills, and builds resilience. In fact, these moments of challenge significantly shape our mindset, increasing our willingness to stay engaged and work through obstacles.
Watch the productive struggle video with Dan Finkel
3️⃣ Focus on effort over intelligence
Praise and encouragement play a crucial role in building confidence, self-esteem, and motivation. However, it’s important to be mindful of what we praise. Intelligence isn’t just an innate trait—it develops over time through dedication and perseverance. By recognising and reinforcing effort, persistence, and progress, we help cultivate a growth mindset, encouraging students to embrace challenges and stay committed to learning.
Download the mindset activity
4️⃣ Consider how mistakes help us grow
To nurture and empower students, we must create a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable facing challenges and ultimately making mistakes. Resilience and perseverance are essential traits that help students navigate disappointment, allowing them to overcome mistakes and understand they’re embedded in the learning process.
Watch the mistakes help you grow video
5️⃣ Provide constructive feedback
A powerful strategy that supports mindsets in learning is specific and actionable feedback that guides development and helps investigate areas where students are struggling. This can make overcoming challenges or mistakes less overwhelming, as students have a set of tangible suggestions that they can follow and implement into their work.
Watch the importance of effective feedback webinar
6️⃣ Model a growth mindset
Demonstrate your willingness to learn from mistakes and consider the language you use. Kids look up to us as parents, so how we approach challenging situations or frustrating moments will be reflected in their behaviour and mindset. Now, it’s not always easy, but if we can make some simple changes in how we speak to ourselves, praise and provide feedback, it can go a long way in developing a growth mindset in our kids.
Watch students explain what a growth mindset means to them
7️⃣ Provide students with work at their point of need
When a student is learning a piece of content that is too hard or too easy, it makes engaging in learning really difficult. They’re either not able to move through productive struggle as they don’t have the prior knowledge to solve the problem. Or they may have already mastered the content and are being held back from reaching their full potential. Teaching students at their point of need allows them to fully engage in learning and build stronger foundations.
Homeschooling is the perfect opportunity to provide your kids with a personalised approach but what if we could elevate personalised learning even further? Maths Pathway Homeschool is a competency-based program that allows you to pinpoint your child’s knowledge and ability in every mathematical concept across the entire curriculum. Our powerful and adaptive diagnostic tool maps understanding in a detailed report so you can uncover gaps you didn’t even know your child had.
Learn more about our personalised, competency-based approach to maths for homeschoolers
