Growth Mindset
A learning psychology, developed by Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, that holds intelligence and ability are not fixed — they grow with effort, strategy and feedback. The opposite is a 'fixed mindset'.
Fixed vs growth
A child with a fixed mindset says, 'I'm bad at Math.' A child with a growth mindset says, 'I haven't cracked this kind of Math yet.' That single word — 'yet' — is the heart of growth-mindset language. It reframes failure as data, not identity.
How schools build it
Teachers praise effort, strategy and improvement rather than only marks. Mistakes are normalised — even celebrated as 'mistakes of the day' that everyone learned from. Display boards show drafts and revisions, not just polished final work. Report cards comment on persistence and risk-taking, not just outcomes.
What parents can do
Replace 'You're so smart' with 'You worked hard at that' or 'I like how you tried a different way.' Avoid comparing siblings. When a child says 'I can't', add 'yet' aloud. Over a year, these tiny language shifts visibly change how a child approaches challenge.
Related terms
Differentiated Instruction
An approach in which the teacher plans different tasks, materials or supports for different learners in the same classroom — so each child works at the right level of challenge.
Life Skills Education
A WHO-defined set of ten psycho-social skills — self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, interpersonal skills, communication, stress management and emotion management — taught explicitly in school.
Value Education
A broader, umbrella term for the deliberate teaching of personal, social and constitutional values — extending Moral Science into citizenship, financial responsibility and digital ethics.