New research suggests that one of the best ways to increase students’ perseverance and improve their academic behaviors is by supporting the development of "academic mindsets": the psychological and social beliefs one has about oneself in relation to academic work. Students with positive academic mindsets work harder, engage in more productive academic behaviors, and persevere to overcome obstacles to success, the research says. Conversely, students with negative mindsets about school or about themselves as learners are likely to withdraw from the behaviors essential for academic success and to give up easily when they encounter setbacks or difficulty.
Students can learn positive academic mindsets, we also know. The concept of "growth mindset," upon which this new research stands, underscores the malleability of our attitudes about our ability to learn...