Just try harder

From high school, I distinctly remember making the statemen "I don't have to try very hard because I'm pretty good at math." I said it with confidence and with certainty; I did well on math tests without studying, I must be good at math.

As I progressed in my post secondary degree, I started to realize that I actually had to try, not just in math, but in all my subjects. I started to make statements like "I studied every day for the entire term, of course I did well in advanced organic chemistry."

I remember being frustrated by a friend who continually told me that I didn't have to worry about tests, assignments and the like because I was smart and always did well. She brushed it off as being beside the point whenever I pointed out that I spent hours in profs offices, that I studied regularly, and that I had done every single not-for-marks assignment. She was never willing to recognize how much effort I put into my courses. She continued to believe that I was simply "smart."

I've been learning about students' belief systems regarding intelligence and how those beliefs affect their academic performance. It's astounding. From what I've read, there are two general beliefs held: the belief that intelligence is an inherent, fixed quality and the belief that intelligence is a fluid quality that can be improved by applying oneself. The fascinating thing is how these beliefs affect student outcomes:

	Intelligence is fixed	Intelligence is malleable
Students’ goal	To look smart, even if they learn less	To learn, even if they make mistakes
What does failure mean?	Failure means low intelligence	Failure means low effort, poor strategy
What does effort mean?	Effort means low intelligence	Effort activates and uses intelligence
Strategy after difficulty	Less effort	More effort
Self-defeating defensiveness	High	Low
Performance after difficulty	Impaired	Equal or improved

If students believe that effort is a way to be intelligent, they tend to persist in both enjoyment of subjects and are better able to sustain effort in a difficult problem. If students believe that you’re born with a certain amount of intelligence, every failure (or perceived failure) strikes at the heart of something valued-their intelligence.

Can we change these beliefs? And if so, how?