(1/8) I'm teaching about equity and inclusion in the classroom today. One small tidbit we don't always think about is the importance of employing a growth (rather than fixed) mindset and helping our students to do the same.

(2/8) This Cartoon by @SarahCAndersen is a great illustration of mindset. Fixed mindset on the left, growth mindset on the right. https://twitter.com/SarahCAndersen/status/943504157960421377

(3/8) When students have a growth mindset, they see success as a result of effort and growth, not "intelligence". Failure just means they "aren't there yet" and need to keep working at it.

(4/8) Students with a fixed mindset view intelligence as immutable, seeing failure as evidence that they aren't 'smart'. They have less motivation to work hard ("why work hard if you won't get it anyway") and an aversion to challenging tasks that may end in failure.

(5/8) What does this have to do with equity? A study of 150 STEM professors and 15,000 students explored how students fared in courses depending on whether the professor exhibited a fixed or growth mindset. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaau4734

(6/8) Key finding: "We found that the racial achievement gaps in courses taught by more fixed mindset faculty were twice as large as those in courses taught by more growth mindset faculty."

(7/8) Students in courses taught with a growth mindset also evaluated those courses more favorably, reporting that their instructor motivated them better and emphasized learning and development.

(8/8) All students benefit from a growth mindset, but teaching with a fixed mindset disproportionately harms URM students.

I should have tagged the authors. @dr_canning, @drmuenks, @drdorainnegreen, and @mcmpsych, thanks for this great study!