Growth Mindset...How To Neutralize The Opportunity Gap?

Growth Mindset...How To Neutralize The Opportunity Gap??

The opportunity gap is a buzzing term amongst modern education-related individuals. It identifies the infrastructural aspects as the culprit responsible for poor academic performances in some students. They underperform because they are not provided with equal opportunities by the overall education system. Concerned educationists are putting their heads together to devise methods and techniques that foster better educational tendencies in those who suffer due to the opportunity gap.

Mindsets Define Us:

Mindsets are related to our perceptions about our own selves. Our mindsets about our abilities determine the kind of learners we would become given real-life situations. In other words, mindsets define our belief systems and our self-concept.

Fixed Vs Growth Mindset:

Renowned psychologist, Carol Dweck has put forward the interesting distinction between a fixed and a growth mindset, in her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” People who have a fixed mindset believe in certain notions about themselves. They believe that they have a fixed set of abilities and talent that forms the basis of their learning. If they fail to learn something or perform poorly at a task, they believe that they are inherently bad at it or not smart enough to do it.

The growth mindset, on the other hand, identifies students’ abilities and intelligence as the starting point of their learning journeys. Through focused efforts and willingness, students can perform better and accomplish tasks that otherwise would have been impossible to achieve.

Growth Mindset...Learning At Its Best:

A growth mindset adopted by all the stakeholders in the learning process (parents, teachers, and students) can nurture resilience and positive attitudes amongst students. If they believe that they can become smarter through diligence and hard work, they see challenges as opportunities and become better learners.

About growth mindsets, The Glossary of Education Reform says “ Students who embrace growth mindsets—the belief that they can learn more or become smarter if they work hard and persevere—may learn more, learn it more quickly, and view challenges and failures as opportunities to improve their learning and skills.” 

For those dedicated to education reforms, the growth mindset is the ideal tool to foster a love for learning amongst those who lag behind in their academic performance due to the opportunity gap. 

As we adopt mindfulness and other methods of social emotional learning, we must not overlook the very real biases and challenges that students may regularly encounter, not only in their home lives, but also the implicit biases written into educational programs and policies. Systemic discriminatory practices must be treated differently than “mindset.” It is important to HEAR children/students and parents and not discredit their experiences.