Kendra Hudson

English 101

June 23, 2022

Non – cognitive skills:

Academic Mindsets / Learning strategies

Today the topic of my essay will focus on learning strategies and academic mindsets as

well as their impact on students. There are two authors who talk about these learning styles

including definitions as well as different strategies for students to practice. The first author is

Carol Dweck. She wrote the book “The Mindsets”. The other author I will be referencing is

Jenny Nagaoka, author of “Reading for College: The Role of Cognitive Factors and Content”.

According to these two particular women, learning strategies are the process and tactics

employed to aid the cognitive work of thinking, remembering, or learning, for example,

mnemonic devices, metacognitive strategies, and self-regulation. Academic mindsets are beliefs,

attitudes, or ways of perceiving oneself in relation to learning and intellectual work that promote

academic performance. Learning styles influence how a student learns by using a learning

strategy best suited for them personally. Instructors are able to encourage a student’s growth

mindset by working with them to overcome challenges and reward them for hard work, not just

intelligence. As students begin to understand the learning process as well as what strategy works

best for them, they begin to feel confident and more in control of their work. This leads to their

success in academics and beyond.

 Growth mindset is a belief that your basic qualities are things you can change through

your efforts, strategies, and help from others. Everyone can advance and grow through practice

and experience. Many believe that a person’s true potential is unknown.

Carol Dweck says, “everyone has role models.” In one experiment done by Dweck it

showed that children made her realize that intellectual skills could be developed. The authors

view about mindsets was that a person was smart or not smart. Alfred Binet invented the IQ Test.

It was believed that this test was developed to “summarize children’s unchangeable intelligent.”

However, Binet made this test to “identify children who were not profiting from the Paris public

schools, so that new educational programs could be designed to get them back on track.”

(Mindset Dweck p 2) Binet thought that education and practice could bring about fundamental

changes in intelligence. Today experts believe that not nature or nurture alone play roles in a

persons intellect. Neuroscientist Gilbert Gottlieb says, “not only do genes and environment

cooperate as we develop, but genes require input from the environment to work properly”.

Scientists are also learning that people have the ability for lifelong learning and brain

development. Robert Sternberg, a present day guru of intelligence put it as “the major factor in

whether people achieve expertise ‘is not some fixed ability, but purposeful engagement”’.

The fixed mindset causes a person to exhibit an urgent need to continuously prove

themselves. People are always asking themselves “will I succeed or fail”, “will I feel like a

winner or a loser”, “will I look smart or dumb”. These thoughts are a constant fear for those who

are in a fixed mindset. “If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality,

and a certain moral character-well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of

them”, according to Dweck (Mindset Dweck p 3).

 When asked, most high school students will express their desire to attend college whether

it be a 2 year or 4 year university. Statistics however show that with a higher level of college

enrollment the number of college graduates has not increased. In an effort to try to change this

pattern, new learning practices and policies have been implemented in schools across the nation.

These new policies include Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. I personally

was introduced to Common Core when I was in the 5th grade. In my experience I was able to

quickly adjust to the new way of learning, however, for those who have been taught the

traditional way for a longer period of time, it was more difficult to grasp the new concepts. The

new policies and procedures were meant to encourage learning strategies and allow students to

obtain an understanding in learning.

There are several different learning strategies. A few examples would be reciprocal

questioning, peer teaching activities, and muddiest point techniques (prodigygame). To better

explain these techniques, I will give you some further explanation. Reciprocal questioning is an

open dialogue where students become the teacher and form questions about a lesson on their own

and share it with others.

Muddiest point technique is where students are asked to take notes related to the parts of

a lesson that are the least clear. This technique helps students think about the lesson and better

understand where they need more help or instruction. Peer Teaching activities allow for various

situations where the students teach other students through role play, peer tutoring, or reading

buddies. This technique helps to build a student’s skills in communication, accountability, and

interaction with others.

Academic Mindsets and learning strategies are areas that all types of people should

research. Maybe you think you are not smart enough but by researching mindsets you discover
you can take steps to change your perspective. Or maybe you have difficulties remembering

information. By learning about strategies, you may find ways to help you. In my own research I

have found that these areas are not just for college students but helpful to young kids through

adults. It is never to late to learn something new to make changes in your ways of thinking.
 Reference:

 “The Mindsets” Chapter 1 by Carol Dweck

 “Readiness for College: The Role of Noncognitive Factors and Context” by Jenny

Nagaoka et.al.

 https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/active-learning-strategies-examples/

 https://www.mindsetworks.com/go/academic-mindsets/