Grant amount
NIS 1,700,000
Developing A Mathematical “Growth Mindset” Module
Development and Operation of Mathematical "Growth Mindset" Module in 20 Professional Learning Communities of Advanced Mathematics Teachers in the Social Periphery
Development and Operation of Mathematical "Growth Mindset" Module in 20 Professional Learning Communities of Advanced Mathematics Teachers in the Social Periphery
The traditional approach in teaching mathematics and science in Israeli high schools has been exclusive and selective. Teachers tended to focus on teaching the material in depth and at pace, while relying on the students to self-regulate their effort. In practice, the first months of tenth grade and the first matriculation of eleventh grade, served to separate those students who would complete the course and those who would drop out. Beneath the surface, there was a belief that there are students who are more able, prepared and motivated, and the result was a very high rate of drop out from the five-unit classes.
In order to change this tendency, teachers began to learn together in professional communities, using diagnostic assessments and video recordings of classroom teaching. By focusing on student learning, difficulties, typical errors and misconceptions, and analyzing the influence of teaching on the learning progress, the teaching approach started shifting to become less selective and more nurturing. A case study that looked into this phenomenon, prepared by Haim Lapid and Lea Pass in 2016, revealed that teachers indeed change their classroom practice as a result of participating in the communities.
Decades of research have proved that students with a “growth mindset”, those who know how to overcome challenges and believe that they can “grow” and develop their abilities, work and learn more effectively. However, Lapid and Pass noted that many teachers find this ‘nurturing’ mindset overwhelming, and lack tools and methods to push their students to develop a “growth mindset”, and to deal with their difficulties in learning advanced level mathematics. Until now, the teachers have received a partial response from their professional communities, however, since their expertise is in science teaching and not in psychology, they report needing additional support, especially in the social periphery.
Therefore, the foundation turned to the Maytiv Center at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and invited them to apply their experience to cultivate the growth mindset approach in 5-unit mathematics teaching in Israel, and especially among junior high school teachers preparing advanced level students. Maytiv is an applied research center in IDC’s School of Psychology, founded in 2010 by Tal Ben-Shahar, a world expert in positive psychology. Since then the center has gained extensive experience in training and mentoring leading teachers in Israel to run professional development peer communities in schools. We asked Maytiv to learn the specific characteristics of mathematics teaching in Israel and to prepare a module, based on the mathematical “growth mindset” principles, which will be used by teacher communities across the country.
Following extensive discussions, they are now proposing a program that will operate in 20 teacher communities (PLCs) in the social periphery. In the first year, a development team of four will be established including clinical psychologists and experienced mathematics teachers. They will develop a 30-hour training module, emphasizing the connection between the principles of growth mindset and the mathematics curriculum for 9th and 10th grades. They chose these grades because it is the most volatile period for selecting and persevering in the 5-unit track.
The module will initially be pilot tested in one professional learning community of teachers in the social periphery. Following feedback the module will be fine-tuned and finalized. It will then include a designated website with learning materials and teaching aids. In the second year, 10 social periphery teacher communities will use the module in their ongoing meetings. Maytiv will train and coach the ten teacher leaders of these communities, as well as four psychologists to instruct the module together. An evaluation study will monitor the program, with a special emphasis on the change in teachers’ and students mindsets towards mathematics teaching and learning and its influence on student learning, progress, selection and retention in the 5-unit track, and achievement.
In a third year, Maytiv will develop a self-sustaining operating model and will take it upon themselves to implement the program in additional ten teacher communities in the social periphery.