- Year 2022
- NSF Noyce Award # 1660632
- First Name Valorie
- Last Name Zonnefeld
- Institution Dordt University
- Role/Position Professor of Mathematics
- Workshop Category Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends
- Workshop Disciplines Audience Mathematics
- Target Audience Co-PIs, Noyce Master Teachers, Noyce Teaching Fellows, Other Faculty/Staff, Project PIs, School District Administrators, Undergraduate and/or Graduate Noyce Scholars
- Topics Developing Teacher Leaders
- Session Length 30 minutes minutes
Goals
Attendees will learn pedagogical practices that support a growth mindset and productive struggle in mathematics.
Evidence
Supporting literature for the talk include: Allsopp, D., Lovin, L. H., & van Ingen, S. (2018). Teaching mathematics meaningfully: Solutions for reaching struggling learners (2nd ed.). Brookes Publishing. Boaler, J. (2014, September 10). The mathematics of hope: Moving from performance to learning in mathematics classrooms. YouCubed. https://www.youcubed.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/The-Mathematics-of-Hope-5.pdf Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass. Briceno, E. (2016). Aftermath: Embrace mistakes. Math Horizons, 23(4), 34. https://doi.org/10.4169/mathhorizons.23.4.34 Donohoe, C., Topping, K., & Hannah, E. (2012). The impact of an online intervention (Brainology) on the mindset and resiliency of secondary school pupils: A preliminary mixed methods study. Educational Psychology, 32(5), 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2012.675646 Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. Dweck, C. (2008). Mindsets and math/science achievement. Carnegie Corp. of New York–Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education. http://www.growthmindsetmaths.com/uploads/2/3/7/7/23776169/mindset_and_math_science_achievement_-_nov_2013.pdfDweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Bulletin, 256–273. Kamins, M. L., & Dweck, C. S. (1999). Person versus process praise and criticism: Implications for contingent self-worth and coping. Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 835–847. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.35.3.835National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Rattan, A., Good, C., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). “It’s ok — not everyone can be good at math”: Instructors with an entity theory comfort (and demotivate) students. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(3), 731–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.12.012 Rattan, A., Savani, K., Chugh, D., & Dweck, C. S. (2015). Leveraging mindsets to promote academic achievement: Policy recommendations. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(6), 721–726. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615599383The Project for Education Research that Scales. (n.d.). Teaching a growth mindset [Educational]. MindsetKit. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://www.mindsetkit.org/topics/teaching-growth-mindset/explain-the-neuroscience. Urbina-Lilback, R. N. (2016). Snapshots of equitable teaching in a highly diverse classroom. The Mathematics Teacher, 110(2), 126–132. https://doi.org/10.5951/mathteacher.110.2.0126 Wang, M.-T., Zepeda, C. D., Qin, X., Del Toro, J., & Binning, K. R. (2021). More than growth mindset: Individual and interactive links among socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents’ ability mindsets, metacognitive skills, and math engagement. Child Development, 92(5), e957–e976. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13560 Zhang, J., Kuusisto, E., & Tirri, K. (2017). How teachers’ and students’ mindsets in learning have been studied: Research findings on mindset and academic achievement. Psychology, 08(09), 1363–1377. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.89089 Zonnefeld, V. L. (2015). Mindsets, attitudes, and achievement in undergraduate statistics courses. Dissertation, 216.
Proposal
Preparing teachers to teach and lead in high-needs schools across diverse backgrounds requires that teachers understand the role that mindset plays in learning mathematics. Mindsets are domain specific and an important lever to improve student achievement in mathematics. Research on the malleability of the brain and the importance of a growth mindset for student achievement in mathematics requires teachers to adjust their teaching practices; and consequently, that universities adjust preservice mathematics teacher training. 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 mathematics; 3) metacognition strategies; 4) feedback practices; and 5) the importance of productive struggle and learning from mistakes.
