The Most Powerful Practice for Academic Growth

We’ve all probably come across the following much-cited quote at some point:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Although it might be a bit cliché, it does capture an undeniable truth: if we fail to analyze why a certain outcome occurred, we can’t learn from it and improve our process and result. This type of self-reflection goes a long way toward personal and academic growth, and it’s something we can easily teach to kids at all grade levels.

With all of the kids I’ve taught and tutored over the years, the factor most associated with academic growth is their willingness and capacity to analyze their past academic outcomes and make adjustments. It’s not to say that our outcomes, academic or otherwise, are entirely within our control. But the ability to reflect on what aspects of the outcome were in our control and to improve our approach are powerful tools for all areas of life.

Turn Assessments into Opportunities for Growth

Test taking is one of the least enjoyable parts of school for most students. In addition to being a source of anxiety, test taking can also be demoralizing and damaging to students’ self-esteem. Students who routinely do poorly on tests and quizzes often develop a negative self-concept (“I’m not good at school.” “I can’t take tests.”) that impacts their feelings about academics and learning overall.

When students are unable to make connections between their actions/efforts and their results, they can come to believe that outcomes are random and mostly out of their control. If a test went well, it’s because they got lucky. If it didn’t, it’s because it was too hard. Either way, they are overly focused on factors outside of their control, as opposed to factors within their control. This can lead to greater anxiety about tests, or alternatively, a defeatist approach.

This is yet another reason to help students develop a growth mindset and learn metacognition skills, which help turn a less-than-ideal test grade into an opportunity for learning and growth.

Teaching a Growth Mindset

Some students naturally develop a growth mindset through outside pursuits like sports and the arts, while others are immersed in a growth-oriented perspective at home. But unless your school offers courses on academic skills, metacognition skills, or general personal development, chances are most of your students will have had little to no exposure to these concepts. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to get students thinking about and reflecting on growth and their own academic outcomes.

Here are some ways to help students develop a growth mindset:

• When reviewing answers, encourage reflection about mistakes.

  • What specifically was tricky about the question?

  • Could students have studied or prepared differently to answer the question?

  • What was the thought process that led to the mistake?

• Highlight progress whenever possible. Point out improvements in students’ work.

• Offer opportunities for students to get back lost points: have them write an analysis of why they made the mistake or fell short on the assignment, plus make the necessary corrections.

• Encourage students to reflect before reviewing for tests.

  • What went well with their review/studying for the last test?

  • What could they improve upon or what additional efforts could they make?

Here is a resource I’ve created to help students develop greater awareness of their thinking and learning habits. It includes a series of questionnaires that prompt reflection about study habits and help students make the connection between their actions/efforts and their results. It’s designed for independent student work with no direct instruction required.

Please let me know in the comments if you have any great tips for helping students develop metacognition skills and a growth mindset!