Welcome to the Tuesday Teaching Tip, an easy-to-implement tool that you can use immediately in your classroom teaching. 

TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: Practical Strategies for Cultivating a Growth Mindset in the Classroom

A growth mindset—the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and learning—has been strongly linked to student motivation, persistence, and academic success (Dweck, 2006; Yeager & Dweck, 2020). Research shows that college students’ mindsets are not fixed; they can shift over time depending on classroom experiences and instructional practices (Limeri et al., 2020). Therefore, instructors play a critical role in shaping how students interpret challenge, failure, and learning. The following evidence-based strategies outline tangible ways instructors can cultivate a growth mindset in their classrooms:

• Include a growth mindset statement in the syllabus - Add a short paragraph explaining that abilities develop through effort and practice. For example: “This course is designed to help you grow your skills over time; mistakes and challenges are expected parts of learning.” This aligns with research showing that early messaging shapes student beliefs (Accelerate Equity, n.d.; Dweck, 2006).
• Normalize struggle on the first day (and revisit it often) - Explicitly tell students which concepts are historically difficult and why. Say things like, “Most students find this unit challenging at first—that’s a sign you’re learning.” Reinforcing this message regularly helps students reinterpret difficulty as productive (Yeager & Dweck, 2020).
• Use process-focused feedback on assignments - Instead of only marking answers right/wrong, write comments such as: “Your approach improved from the last assignment—keep using this strategy.” “Try breaking the problem into smaller steps next time.” This shifts attention to strategies and growth rather than fixed ability (Ku & Stager, 2022).
• Build in structured revision opportunities - Allow students to revise essays, problem sets, or projects after receiving feedback. Require a short reflection explaining what they changed and why. This reinforces the idea that learning is iterative and improvable (O’Keefe et al., 2021).
• Design low-stakes practice before high-stakes assessments - Use quizzes, drafts, or in-class exercises that do not heavily impact grades. This reduces fear of failure and encourages experimentation, which supports growth-oriented learning behaviors (Limeri et al., 2020).
• Model your own learning process - Share examples of times you struggled with material in your field and how you improved. Walk through mistakes live (e.g., solving a problem and correcting an error). This demonstrates that expertise develops over time.
• Analyze mistakes as a class - After exams, review common errors and have students discuss what went wrong and how to fix it. Frame mistakes as data for improvement and growth rather than failures.
• Use reflective learning activities - Ask students to write brief reflections after assignments:
  • What did you find challenging?
  • What strategy did you use?
  • What will you try differently next time? Reflection helps students internalize growth-oriented thinking (Accelerate Equity, n.d.).

 

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey. The survey is anonymous, but if you choose to enter your name, you’ll be entered in a drawing at the end of the quarter to win a new book from Faculty Development!

 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

• Digital Safety & Security Panel on Wednesday, April 15 RSVP
  
  
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• CAFE: Hacking the Publication Process on Thursday, April 23 RSVP
  
  
• Faculty Advising: Basics & Best Practices on Monday, April 27 RSVP and Tuesday, April 28 RSVP

 

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• SCU’s DRT: Building Classroom Community
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
• Handa, K., Clapper, M., Boyle, J., Wang, R. E., Yeager, D. S., & Demszky, D. (2023). Mistakes help us grow: Facilitating and evaluating growth mindset supportive language in classrooms.
• Ku, L., & Stager, M. (2022). Growth mindset in the higher education classroom. University of North Texas.
• Limeri, L. B., Carter, N. T., Choe, J., Harper, H. G., Martin, H. R., Benton, A., & Dolan, E. L. (2020). Growing a growth mindset: Characterizing how and why undergraduate students’ mindsets change. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(35).
• O’Keefe, P. A., et al. (2021). Developing a growth-mindset pedagogy for higher education and testing its efficacy. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 4(1).
• Stanford University. (n.d.). Growth mindset and enhanced learning.
• Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2020). What can be learned from growth mindset controversies? American Psychologist, 75(9), 1269–1284.
• Accelerate Equity. (n.d.). Overview: Growth mindset messages. https://accelerateequity.org/resource/practices-library/overview-growth-mindset-messages/

 

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Cara Chiaraluce on behalf of the Faculty Development and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

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