Growth Mindset: What the Research Does and Doesn’t Say

Walk into many primary schools and you will see posters saying “Mistakes help me learn” or “I can’t do it yet.” These ideas come from the work of psychologist Carol Dweck, who described two broad beliefs people hold about ability.

People with a fixed mindset tend to believe that intelligence and talent are set and cannot change much. People with a growth mindset tend to believe that abilities can develop through effort, good strategies and help from others.

The idea is appealing and has spread widely. It is worth looking at what the evidence says.

What the research supports

Dweck and colleagues found in a series of studies that students who believed ability could grow were more likely to persist after setbacks and to choose challenging tasks. Some intervention studies, where students learned about how the brain changes with practice, found improvements in grades, especially for students who were struggling.

A large study in the United States, published in 2019 in the journal Nature, tested a short online growth mindset programme with more than 12,000 secondary school students. It found a small improvement in grades among lower-achieving students and an increase in the number of students choosing harder maths courses.

Where effects are smaller than claimed

Other research has been more cautious. A 2018 meta-analysis by Sisk and colleagues, combining many studies, found that the link between mindset and academic achievement was weak overall, and that mindset interventions had small average effects. Effects were stronger for some groups, such as students from lower-income backgrounds or those already at risk of failing, and weaker or absent for others.

In short, growth mindset is not a magic switch. It is one factor among many, and its benefits seem to depend on who is involved and how it is taught.

Common misunderstandings

Dweck herself has warned about a “false growth mindset”. Some common misunderstandings include:

• Praising effort alone. Effort that uses an ineffective strategy will not lead to progress. Children need to hear about effort, strategies and asking for help.
• Posters without practice. Displaying slogans does little if the classroom still treats mistakes as embarrassing.
• Blaming the child. Telling a struggling child they just need a better mindset ignores real barriers, such as an unmet learning need, a lack of support, or difficulties at home.

Using the idea well

Growth mindset is most useful as part of how adults respond to learning every day.

• Treat mistakes as information: “What does this mistake tell us?”
• Talk about strategies: “What else could you try?”
• Show that ability grows: compare a child’s work now with their work a few months ago.
• Model it yourself: talk about things you are learning and finding hard.
• Make sure the support is real. A child who believes they can improve still needs teaching that helps them improve.

A balanced view

The belief that abilities can grow is reasonable, and for some children it can help them keep going when work is hard. It works best alongside good teaching, practical help and a classroom culture where effort and mistakes are welcome. On its own, it will not close gaps in learning.