Between March and October 2021, Winning Scotland surveyed 300 teachers from 30 local authorities across Scotland about their activity and attitude relating to growth mindset in education.

Their responses show that nearly all teachers (87%) are using growth mindset, and the vast majority (also 87%) are seeing a range of positive outcomes, including improvements in:

• pupil attitudes (73%)
• their own [teachers’] attitudes (45%)
• pupils’ attainment (32%)

Headlines – what did we learn?

• 55% said growth mindset was on their school improvement plan.
• 42% said mindset was embedded into their school culture.
• Other areas where improvements were attributed to mindset included:
  • Pupil behaviour (39%)
  • Pupil concentration (34%)
  • Parental engagement (15%)
• Half say not all of their colleagues are on board with mindset.
• One in five said they faced challenges implementing mindset. Covid-19 was by far the greatest barrier, followed by staff changes and lack of collegiate engagement.

On Wednesday 19 January, education gurus Dr Jo Boaler and Cathy Williams of Stanford University will celebrate the achievements of 200 Scottish teachers, acknowledging their effort, commitment and ‘mindset’ during the pandemic.

Dr Boaler is one of the most influential educators in the world. Referenced as one of eight people “changing the face of education” by the BBC, she is the author of 18 books, including the global bestseller Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead and Live Without Barriers and is a White House presenter on women and girls. 

The teachers have all taken part in Mindset Teams, Winning Scotland’s professional learning programme to help education professionals develop a ‘growth mindset’ culture in their schools. The group includes cohorts of teachers from North Lanarkshire, the Northern Alliance and the South West Educational Improvement Collaborative. In addition, 71 teachers took part via the Education Scotland STEM fund programme.

Helping children develop a growth mindset gives them a priceless gift – the desire to continually learn and improve throughout their lives. The catch-all term for decades of robust psychological research by Boaler’s Stanford colleague, Dr Carol Dweck, a ‘growth mindset’ enables children to:
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• treat their brain like a muscle – something that can always be honed and enhanced.
• understand that making mistakes is part of learning, and actually enriches it.
• enjoy the challenge of a difficult task, rather than be scared of it.
• realise that persistence and purposeful effort are key aspects of the learning journey.