Abstract:

The growth mindset is the belief that one’s ability and success can improve with hard work, learning, and resilience. Conversely, a fixed mindset is the belief that aptitudes and intelligence are unique to individuals and cannot be altered. Developing a growth mindset in the college classroom can help to improve students’ motivation, learning, academic achievement, and overall well-being, leading to positive outcomes including personal and professional growth. This study seeks to discover effective strategies that college professors can utilize to foster their students’ growth mindset while also exploring college students’ perceptions of their abilities. Data will be collected using an electronic survey with semi-structured questions shared with college students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. The results of this study will be summarized, tabulated, and presented at the EDULEARN International Conference virtually.

A fixed mindset can lead to various problems such as a lack of confidence, motivation, and resilience, limiting one’s ability to grow personally and professionally. The purpose of this paper is to explore effective approaches in higher education to foster a growth mindset in the college classroom conducive to all learners in STEM programs. Understanding college students’ perceptions of their abilities and behaviors can help instructors tailor their educational practices to not only encourage a growth mindset in their classrooms but also help students learn that success can be achieved with hard work and dedication.

The major points covered in this study include:
- Growth mindset pedagogy and theoretical models for teaching
- Characteristics of a growth mindset
- College students' perceptions of their abilities and factors affecting their well-being
- Best practices and important factors to stimulate college students’ growth mindset
- A summary table of teaching-learning strategies for developing a growth mindset in higher education

The activities implemented in this paper can have a positive impact on student engagement, learning, and success. This study also summarizes how promoting a growth mindset in a college classroom can improve students’ learning and motivate students' divergent thinking. This method can also assist students to gain knowledge and skills expected from industry professionals.

Keywords:

Growth mindset, academic success, motivation, ability, intelligence, competence, learning process, constructive feedback, learning improvement.