Are we, as educators, talking to students the wrong way in Physical Education?

Seminar Title

Are we, as educators, talking to students the wrong way in Physical Education?

Growth mindset

Elementary

Elementary

Phys. Ed.

DAPE

Is instilling a growth mindset in our students truly beneficial or is it yet another strategy that nobody will be talking about in two years? Seriously, how many times do we need to reinvent the wheel? I am excited about my action research because my students have changed the way they think about experiences. Although many still display a fixed mindset much of the time, because it is so ingrained, they are now understanding that the effort they put in leads to higher achievement overall. Though my focus was on students in a Physical Education setting, I believe my research is relevant to teachers across the board, in all discipline areas. My main concept was growth mindset, but my research connects to many other concepts. It touches on success skills, movement, praise and teaching to students who have encountered a traumatic childhood experience. So if you are looking for an opportunity to engage in a fun conversation about the benefits of a growth mindset, this is the session for you!

Are we, as educators, talking to students the wrong way in Physical Education? The question guiding my research is as follows: Are we, as educators talking to students the wrong way in Physical Education? A review of the literature suggested that there are many factors affecting student’s mental state and the way our students interpret the feedback they receive from educators. As a result of my literature review, areas I targeted for change in my practice included incorporating success skills in daily lessons, encouraging more movement, praising effort rather than performance, and offering appropriate support to students who have been involved in traumatic childhood experiences. Development for myself, was focused on integrating growth mindset oriented learning processes into my gymnasium. Assessment of the ways these changes make a difference in the classroom, student learning, and my ability to instill a growth mindset included 1) growth mindset surveys 2) fitness testing progress 3) daily mindset discussions 4) student goal setting and 5) self assessment forms and documents. Through my research I have learned strategies for helping students develop a growth mindset. With lessons on brain growth, the power of the word, “yet”, and making mistakes, growth mindset lessons supplemented my regular curriculum. My students are learning that achieving small goals builds confidence, working hard pays off, and engaging together brings more success. The number of interventions I have needed to make in solving conflict has declined. My students are more supportive of one another than ever before. They are moving more and Physical Education fitness scores have improved significantly. Additionally, I am a better listener to my students with special needs. I am finding, however, change is gradual. Some of my students still display a fixed mindset much of the time and need additional verbal and visual prompts to stay focused on the positive. As a result of my exploration of growth mindset, I will continue to offer my students feedback that is honest and precise. I hope to instill a growth mindset in all of my students because I believe it can be life changing.