Changing Pupils' Mindsets

This project is based on theories that children hold about their intelligence, in particular whether it is a fixed entity or a malleable quality that can be developed. It is based specifically on research carried out by Carol Dweck in the United States which found that those who agreed with the idea that 'you can always change how intelligent you are' out-performed similar peers who believed that 'you have a certain amount of intelligence and you can't do much to change it'. The project, which is being delivered by psychologists at Portsmouth University is testing two models of changing the way pupils think about themselves and their intelligence: a nine week course of mentoring and workshops with Year 5 pupils (with pupils allocated to test and control groups); and training teachers in how to teach pupils about the malleability of their intelligence and how to reinforce this in their lessons. It is one of a large number of projects funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to address educational disadvantage. NIESR is evaluating this pilot intervention on behalf of the EEF through a randomised control trial and a process evaluation.