Students who believed that intelligence could be developed performed better than students who believed intelligence was fixed and could not change. When you think about that it seems obvious. It is the difference between believing you are capable of doing anything and believing you are limited. I have always said that whatever you believe is what you will do. If you believe you can learn to solve that math problem, then you will. If you believe you can’t, then you won’t, unless you just get lucky and somehow prove yourself wrong; or unless some very dedicated teacher steps in and teaches you how to do it. But the results of the above research point to a very interesting variable in education: student belief. If you really want to leave no child behind, then nurture the child’s belief in his or her capabilities. There really is power in positive thinking.


education, intelligence, self esteem, confidence, aptitude,