

This powerful philosophy of positivity has driven most of Carol Dweck’s research over the course of her illustrious career.Ĭarol Dweck is a professor at Stanford University and the author of Mindset, a classic work on motivation and “growth mindset.” Her work is influential among educators and increasingly among business leaders as well.


According to Carol Dweck, the power of “not yet” gives students a path into their future and makes them feel that they are on a learning curve rather than a dead end. Administering a failing grade to students, however, may make them feel that they are not going anywhere and more likely to “give up” rather than try again. These two little words gave students hope that they could indeed pass if they tried again, motivating them to keep trying. Instead of giving failing grades to those who did not pass, the school simply wrote “not yet” on a student’s report card. These neuroscientific discoveries have shown us that we can increase our neural growth by the actions we take, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing and following good nutrition and sleep habits.Ĭarol Dweck’s Ted Talks presentation opens with a powerful little story about a high school in Chicago where students had to pass a certain number of courses in order to graduate. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience.

Recent advances in neuroscience have shown us that the brain is far more malleable than we ever knew. Here we will look at the pioneering work of Carol Dweck and her research about the “Growth Mindset” which builds on to the principles of neuroplasticity. We explored the evolving learners that are our children and how the growing brain can adapt to new challenges. In a past series of articles, Beyond the Classroom delved into the wonderful world of neuroplasticity and the consequences of a fixed mindset.
