Equipping Preservice STEM Teachers in Pedagogies to Foster Growth Mindsets in their Students

Preparing teachers to teach and lead in schools across diverse backgrounds requires an understanding of the role that mindsets play in STEM learning. Mindsets are domain specific and an important lever to improve student achievement. Unfortunately, the STEM field suffers from high rates of fixed mindsets, as many see success in STEM as innate. Research on the malleability of the brain and the impact of teachers’ pedagogical choices to foster a growth or fixed mindset can help address the high rates of fixed mindsets, and requires teachers to adjust their teaching practices. In response, Dordt University trains preservice teachers in pedagogies that foster a growth mindset. These practices include 1) educating students on brain function and the malleability of the brain; 2) providing equitable access to challenging materials and courses; 3) training students in metacognition strategies; 4) emphasizing the value of productive struggle; 5) the importance of mastery goals; 6) teacher feedback practices; and 7) the necessity of normalizing mistakes. This workshop will include the research behind growth mindset theory and active participation in the growth mindset training that undergraduate students received.