Hi
In the current issue of "Educational Leadership," Carol Dweck has an
article entitled "The Perils of Praise." In it, with numerous references
to current research, she describes two different mind-sets held by people,
a "fixed mind-set" in which you have the intelligence you were born with
and that's just how it is, and a "growth mind-set" in which your effort
and perseverance are paramount. Students with a fixed mind-set show much
lower motivation than students with a growth mind-set, and indeed may even
be fearful of trying (thinking "if I don't do well, that must mean I'm
stupid."). So obviously, we would want to foster a growth mind-set.
The role of praise, then, must be at least in part to reinforce that
mentality. Saying "Wow, you're smart." may produce a short term positive
effect, but in the long run produces a fixed mind-set mentality and thus
decreases motivation. On the other hand, praising the process ("praise for
engagement, perseverance, strategies, improvement, and the like") produces
a growth mind-set, and has more positive long-term effects.
How do you use praise in your classrooms, and what effects are you seeing?
Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
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