Is intelligence something you just have (or don't), or is it something you can grow? How students think about their intelligence has important effects on their educational aspirations and achievements. Carol Dweck's research shows that when students are taught a "growth mindset"—the idea that their brains can grow and get smarter—achievement gaps are narrowed, resulting in more equitable education. She will examine the transitions to middle school, high school, and college through this lens, and will also show how educators' mindsets play out to affect educational equity.
Carol Dweck is a leading researcher in the field of motivation. Her research focuses on why students succeed and how to foster their success. More specifically, her work has demonstrated the role of mindsets in success and has shown how praise for intelligence can undermine students' motivation and learning. Her book Mindset has been has been translated into more than 20 languages.
This interview followed the SCOPE Brown Bag Lecture: "Mindsets: Increasing Educational Equity and Opportunity" on February 24, 2014. Dweck's PowerPoint can be found at this link: https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/events/1061
