This week’s book learning is from ‘Switch’ by Chip and Dan Heath.
Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, conducted a study involving about 100 seventh graders, all doing poorly in math.
They were randomly assigned to 2 workshops. Workshop A gave lessons on how to study well. Workshop B taught the students about the expanding nature of intelligence and the brain. Here, the students learned ‘that the brain actually forms new connections every time you learn something new, and that over time, this makes you smarter.‘
The results were astonishing.
76% of the improved students were in the 2nd group. And, while the average of the 1st group fell from C+ to C-, the 2nd group significantly over performed.
“You mean I don’t have to be dumb?” Jimmy asked, astonished. Working hard was no longer a sign of being dumb but of getting smarter.
Since Dweck’s experiment, the concepts of ‘Fixed mindset’ and ‘Growth mindset’ have become accepted in modern psychology. And this series of experiments has had huge impact in our understanding of intelligence.
And, when we pause and give it a moment’s thought, we see that the difference between the 2 groups of students was just a 2 hour workshop. Imagine what a difference it would make if this was taught with the seriousness given to a subject in school..
This story was fitting today since I’d blogged yesterday about how I hoped the ‘a learning a day’ philosophy would one day be taught in schools all over the world at. We often tend to underestimate the incredible power of incremental change and it’s impact on our lives. Dweck’s research went a long way in proving it’s effect..
Here’s to working hard and getting better, one day at a time, this week! :)
A Learning a Day 