Skilling has, today, become vital in an individual’s journey to acquire knowledge and develop essential abilities. To foster a growth mindset and cultivate lifelong learners who will shape the future workforce, it is crucial for skilling to commence during the learning phase in school. For students, the quest to learn more and get into new areas of knowledge is crucial for future growth. It is important to develop a mindset that will take them out of their comfort zone.
Question of perception
This quest for learning comes from a growth mindset. Such students believe that change is constant and are always willing to learn and find out new things to further their careers. They believe intelligence and talent can be developed with practice and effort and have a strong conviction that they can acquire abilities through effort and study. To such people, mistakes are a natural part of the learning process and failure is not something to be ashamed about. Rather, it is an opportunity to learn and grow. Therefore, those with a growth mindset tend to be great managers, as they are constantly looking out for self-improvement and are ready to embrace change.
Contrast this with a fixed mindset. Such people believe that change cannot be forced. Students with a fixed mindset believe that abilities are innate: something that one is born with and that there is little room for improvement. Intelligence, talent, and other qualities are seen as fixed assets. These students are risk-averse and view feedback as a personal attack. Failure is seen as a reflection of their inherent ability and as something to be feared. Therefore, they avoid challenging tasks or taking risks because they are not confident of success. This can also lead to avoidance of new experiences or opportunities that could push them out of their comfort zone.
Challenges
However, fostering a growth mindset has its own set of challenges. These include cultural beliefs, learning differences, and external pressures. While cultural beliefs naturally limit a person’s ability to think out-of-the-box and seek new areas of learning, students and professionals with learning differences develop a complex and believe that they are not capable of success at a particular task. Then there is external pressure and expectations from parents and peers, which limit thinking and seeking more. The Harvard Business Review lists fear of failure, negative self-talk, lack of support from friends and peer groups, and lack of access to resources or mentors who can help one learn new skills and overcome challenges, as major challenges in the path of developing a growth mindset.
The best strategy to foster in a growth mindset in students is to encourage good work and celebrate successes. Teachers, who play a key role in fostering a growth mindset, can emphasise that intelligence and abilities can grow by praising students for their hard work, rather than their natural talent. They can also help students by celebrating mistakes and setbacks, rather than viewing them as negative events. At the same time, they can challenge students by providing them with opportunities to learn new things and take on challenges and provide feedback by giving specific and actionable advice on how to improve. Finally, they can create a positive learning environment by being supportive and encouraging, and by creating a classroom where students feel respected and valued.
There are many resources that can help students develop a growth mindset. While the Internet has abundant resources, teachers have a special duty to use them to inculcate the growth mindset and increase the quest for upskilling. In the classroom, teachers can assign tasks as challenges to students, and provide feedback on their performance. This will develop a sense of achievement and increase the quest to move forward. At the same time, students need to challenge themselves constantly by setting goals that are challenging but achievable. They should also be open to feedback and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow and celebrate their success. The quest to learn and upskill is never ending and should continue through the lifetime. And this is possible only with the development of a growth mindset.
The writer is Country Head, Pearson India.
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