Secret to success:
Does motivation matter?
by Katharine Gillen
& Hailey Reilly
Do you think natural intelligence is the key to success? Think again.
In 2007, a group of psychologists studied middle-schoolers and found that those who believed that hard work could improve skills were more likely to earn higher grades than students who felt that their skill levels were set in stone. Over the study’s two-year span, the gap between these two groups continued to widen.
This study, among others, was spearheaded by Dr. Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. According to Dweck’s 2007 book, Mindset, students with fixed mindsets believe that talent and intelligence are innate traits that don’t have the ability to change over time. On the other hand, students with growth mindsets believe that regardless of where they may be today, through hard work, they have the ability to improve.
What first started as an academic theory has now sparked a national education movement studied by administrators, teachers and students; today, it is common across America for schools to promote growth mindsets. At WHS, this mindset has been addressed at Back to School Night, faculty meetings and in many classroom discussions.
Principal Mr. Peter Renwick said that he is trying to instill the concept of a growth mindset at WHS “so that [students] are capable of learning from experience, growing as a result of those experiences and being encouraged by seeing how hard work pays off.” Renwick said he often discusses this issue one-on-one with teachers and added that the growth mindset idea “has been introduced at faculty meetings, and professional development has been offered around this as well.”
But the question remains: Does the culture at WHS truly promote a growth mindset?
“I’d like to believe that I have a growth mindset in that I’m usually up for a good challenge,” said senior Lauren Rigney. “However, I find it difficult to have a growth mindset when I’m constantly surrounded by a ‘fixed’ environment.”
Senior Ellie Smith said she sees our school’s focus on grades as contributing to this. “I remember the summer before freshman year, I was told by an older student that the key to high school is ‘doing the least possible to get the best grade possible,’ and I think that’s a lesson that lots of high schoolers apply—doing the bare minimum to succeed,” Smith said. “It’s hard to constantly strive to challenge yourself when there’s so much to get done. There simply isn’t enough time to always be growing.”
Psychology Teacher Mr. Robert Ebert said that although grades are meant as feedback on current performance, at WHS they are viewed by many in the school community as marks of one’s innate intelligence. “So, what we are getting,” said Ebert in an e-mail, “are students who are rather terrified of taking risks because the downside risk (a chance at a lower grade—gasp!) is too great.”
This emphasis on grades causes a domino-effect-like progression in mindset—good grades equal good college, equal good future. Junior Casey Popowski said that a lot of students’ fixed mindsets stem from the pressure they feel to perform for parents, teachers and colleges. “At this point, the pressure of getting good grades has taken away the value of learning and makes school all about getting that ‘A’,” Popowski said.
Does motivation matter?
by Katharine Gillen
& Hailey Reilly
Do you think natural intelligence is the key to success? Think again.
In 2007, a group of psychologists studied middle-schoolers and found that those who believed that hard work could improve skills were more likely to earn higher grades than students who felt that their skill levels were set in stone. Over the study’s two-year span, the gap between these two groups continued to widen.
This study, among others, was spearheaded by Dr. Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. According to Dweck’s 2007 book, Mindset, students with fixed mindsets believe that talent and intelligence are innate traits that don’t have the ability to change over time. On the other hand, students with growth mindsets believe that regardless of where they may be today, through hard work, they have the ability to improve.
What first started as an academic theory has now sparked a national education movement studied by administrators, teachers and students; today, it is common across America for schools to promote growth mindsets. At WHS, this mindset has been addressed at Back to School Night, faculty meetings and in many classroom discussions.
Principal Mr. Peter Renwick said that he is trying to instill the concept of a growth mindset at WHS “so that [students] are capable of learning from experience, growing as a result of those experiences and being encouraged by seeing how hard work pays off.” Renwick said he often discusses this issue one-on-one with teachers and added that the growth mindset idea “has been introduced at faculty meetings, and professional development has been offered around this as well.”
But the question remains: Does the culture at WHS truly promote a growth mindset?
“I’d like to believe that I have a growth mindset in that I’m usually up for a good challenge,” said senior Lauren Rigney. “However, I find it difficult to have a growth mindset when I’m constantly surrounded by a ‘fixed’ environment.”
Senior Ellie Smith said she sees our school’s focus on grades as contributing to this. “I remember the summer before freshman year, I was told by an older student that the key to high school is ‘doing the least possible to get the best grade possible,’ and I think that’s a lesson that lots of high schoolers apply—doing the bare minimum to succeed,” Smith said. “It’s hard to constantly strive to challenge yourself when there’s so much to get done. There simply isn’t enough time to always be growing.”
Psychology Teacher Mr. Robert Ebert said that although grades are meant as feedback on current performance, at WHS they are viewed by many in the school community as marks of one’s innate intelligence. “So, what we are getting,” said Ebert in an e-mail, “are students who are rather terrified of taking risks because the downside risk (a chance at a lower grade—gasp!) is too great.”
This emphasis on grades causes a domino-effect-like progression in mindset—good grades equal good college, equal good future. Junior Casey Popowski said that a lot of students’ fixed mindsets stem from the pressure they feel to perform for parents, teachers and colleges. “At this point, the pressure of getting good grades has taken away the value of learning and makes school all about getting that ‘A’,” Popowski said.