Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

At Hader Institute of Education, we love exploring the concepts of a Growth mindset with our learners who have enrolled in the Certificate IV in Mental Health, or the Certificate IV in Alcohol & Other Drugs. Based on the work of Dr. Carol Dweck, the concept of Fixed and Growth mindset can play a critical role in the outcomes of learners and their willingness to push through when learning new things. This new way of critical thinking aligned with the process of changing our language to “I can’t do this YET” rather than “I will never be able to do this etc”. Check out some examples of what a Fixed and Growth Mindset looks like.

Understanding the difference in thinking between fixed and growth mindsets supports the learners to realise that every learning experience is a chance to grow, and every mistake is normal! In our online classroom discussions we talk about progress rather than perfection which is the same hope for the community that we will be serving. Often as adults we don’t even try new things or experiences because we don’t know how to do it and we are scared we will fail but failing is just another chance to try again. We find this hard even as adults and we get stuck into doing the same things because we know it and we can do it. A growth mindset teaches us all that we can do anything, we just don’t know how YET! A little word with a big outcome. Check out the link below to Dr Carol Dweck on her TedTalk on the the power of believing that you can 

The power of believing that you can improve | Carol Dweck

Growth mindset is the gift that keeps on giving. When working in industry our learners will be able to teach their potential participants about the benefits and concepts of Growth mindset which can support their personal growth around their mental health and recovery goals.

Reference

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books.

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