Growth Mindset: Implementation to Further the Success of High School Students (2015)

Undergraduate: Meghan Cabell

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Political Science

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¿¿¿In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work¿¿¿brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,¿¿¿ (Dweck 2010). This paper explores growth mindset in the specific setting of Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools using a ninth grade world history classroom in Chapel Hill High School as a case study. Presently, the school district has a plan to use more growth mindset practices in the classroom but no concrete plans to implement this strategy. This paper explores the possibility of implementing a more in depth plan, specifically in high school classrooms. Current research shows that growth mindset and the belief that one¿¿¿s own intelligence is malleable is more influencing on academic achievement than actual intelligence, (Dweck 2007). While the district is moving in the right direction by introducing growth mindset, growth mindset is not yet evident in everyday practices in the classroom at the high school level. The proposed policy implementation explores concrete ways teachers can promote growth mindset in the classroom setting.