Reinforce growth mindsets through explicit messages plus implicit classroom practices¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Teachers encouraged growth mindsets both explicitly and implicitly. Explicitly, they repeatedly communicated the conviction that each and every student can grow their mathematical abilities and reminded students that learning math is a process in which it is typical not to experience success right away; nearly half of the teachers emphasized that learning requires taking risks, trying new approaches, and exerting sustained effort. Implicitly, teachers reinforced growth mindset through their approach to collaborative work, praise of students' problem-solving processes, and use of mastery-oriented assessments.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Consistent messaging over time
• assessment and collaboration practices aligned with the growth message

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• middle school math students

Target Learning Goals¶

• growth mindset toward math learning
• persistence through mathematical struggle

Related Strategies¶

• Promote a Growth Mindset
• Growth-mindset-informed math teaching practices: norms, no fixed labels, mixed-ability grouping, process praise, and formative assessment with retakes
• Teachers enact agency-building instruction through five moves: valuing strengths, fostering autonomy, encouraging initiative, reinforcing growth mindset, and modeling metacognition
• Modeling a Growth Mindset
• Cultivate mathematics belonging by publicly recognizing every student as a mathematical thinker

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Price, H., & Fitz, J. (2026). Cultivating math mindsets: Teaching practices that enable equitable classroom learning. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/810.406