1

!"# %&'"#(&')*+ ,- .,/#0

%,1)23 -4,( 5#4-,4(&2*# ', 6#&42)23 )2 %&'"#(&')*+ 78&++4,,(+


}o Boalei, Piofessoi of Nathematics Euucation, Stanfoiu 0niveisity
& Co-founuei of !"#$#%&'

Beinemann Bigital Campus

In 2uu6 a tiaue book appeaieu on bookshelves that woulu ultimately have one of the biggest impacts of
any ieseaich volume evei publisheu in euucation. In ()*'+&,- /0& 1&2 3+4$0"5"64 "7 8#$$&++ Caiol Bweck
summaiizeu key finuings fiom hei ieseaich on the natuie anu impact of minusets. The book quickly
became a 1&2 !"9: /);&+ best-sellei anu was tianslateu into moie than twenty languages. Bweck's
uecaues of ieseaich with subjects of vaiious ages showeu that stuuents with a "giowth minuset"who
believe that intelligence anu "smaitness" can be leaineugo on to highei levels of achievement,
engagement, anu peisistence. The implications of this minuset aie piofounu, especially foi stuuents of
mathematics.

Nathematics, moie than any othei subject, has the powei to ciush stuuents' confiuence (Boalei 2uu9).
The ieasons aie ielateu both to the teaching methous that pievail in 0.S. math classiooms anu the fixeu
iueas about mathematics helu by the majoiity of the 0.S. population anu passeu on to oui chiluien fiom
biith. 0ne of the most uamaging mathematics myths piopagateu in classiooms anu homes is that math is
a gift, that some people aie natuially goou at math anu some aie not (Boalei 2u1Sa, 2u1Sb). This iuea is
stiangely cheiisheu in the Westein woilu but viitually absent in Eastein countiies such as China anu
}apan that top the woilu in mathematics achievement (PISA 2u12).

New scientific eviuence showing the incieuible capacity of the biain to change, iewiie, anu giow in a
ieally shoit time (Naguiie et al. 2uu6) suggests that all stuuents can leain mathematics to high levels
with goou teaching expeiiences. Tiauitional euucatois believe that some stuuents uo not have the biains
to be able to woik on complex mathematics, but it is woiking on complex mathematics that enables
biain connections to uevelop. Stuuents can giasp high-level iueas but they will not uevelop the biain
connections that allow them to uo so if they aie given low-level woik anu negative messages about theii
own potential (Boalei & Fostei 2u14).

As I woik with schools anu uistiicts, encouiaging mathematics teaching that
piomotes giowth iathei than fixeu minusets (www.youcubeu.oig), a ciitical
iequiiement is that teacheis offei mathematics as a leaining subject, not a
peifoimance subject. Nost stuuents askeu what they think theii iole is in math
classiooms say it is to answei questions coiiectly. They uon't think they aie in
math classiooms to appieciate the beauty of mathematics, to exploie the iich
set of connections that make up the subject, oi even to leain about the
applicability of the subject; they think they aie in math classiooms to peifoim.
This was biought home to me iecently when a colleague, Rachel Lambeit, tolu
me hei six-yeai olu son hau come home saying he uiun't like math; when she
askeu him why, he saiu that "math is too much answei time anu not enough leaining time." Stuuents
!"#$% '( $))
*+,% #-(./0
$'*/ #-1 -)$
/-)+2% 3/#0-'-2
$'*/4
56 7/#0 )31




2

fiom kinueigaiten upwaiu iealize that math is uiffeient fiom othei subjects: leaining gives way to
answeiing questions anu taking tests - peifoiming.

Foi stuuents to see mathematics as a subject of leaining, not
peifoiming, they neeu tasks anu questions in math class that have
space to leain built in. When stuuents spenu all theii time in math
class answeiing uisciete questions to which the answeis aie eithei
iight oi wiong, it is veiy uifficult to uevelop a giowth minuset oi to
believe that mathematics is about giowth anu leaining. When
teacheis ask stuuents to finu the aiea of a iectangle with siues of 12
feet anu 2 feet, foi example, stuuents aie being askeu to peifoim a
single calculation coiiectly. When teacheis ask stuuents to finu a
iectangle with an aiea of 24 squaie feet, stuuents aie being askeu
to use theii imagination, to think; they neeu to consiuei vaiious
iectangles anu think about the ielationship between length anu wiuth. Stuuents can piopose uiffeient
iectangles anu uiscuss the equivalence of aiea in uiffeient shapes. In the fiist example stuuents aie
answeiing a question on aiea; in the seconu they aie leaining about iectangles, uimensions, anu aiea. If a
mathematics question oi task uoes not have space within it to think, leain, anu uiscuss, its potential as a
leaining task is limiteu. Tasks that aie paiticulaily valuable aie those that have a low flooi anu a high
ceiling - that is, anyone can access them, but they can be taken to veiy high levels. (Foi examples of high-
quality math tasks anu low-flooi, high-ceiling tasks, see www.youcubeu.oig. watch
https:www.youtube.comwatch.v=p00WuhQgvPQ, anu see http:niich.maths.oig.)

%&'"#(&')*+ &29 %)+'&:#+

Reseaich has iecently shown something stunningwhen stuuents make a mistake in math, theii biain
giows, synapses fiie, anu connections aie maue; when they uo the woik coiiectly, theie is no biain
giowth (Nosei et al. 2u11). This finuing suggests that we want stuuents to make mistakes in math class
anu that stuuents shoulu not view mistakes as leaining failuies but as leaining achievements (Boalei
2u1Sa). Stuuents uo not, as many assume, neeu to ievisit a mistake anu coiiect it to expeiience biain
giowth, although that is always helpful; biain giowth comes fiom the expeiience of stiuggle. When
stuuents stiuggle with mathematics, theii biains giow; being outsiue theii comfoit zone is an extiemely
impoitant place to be.

Nathematics classiooms thioughout the 0.S. aie often set up to make stuuents feel goou by giving them
lots of questions they can answei. Teacheis believe that mistakes anu stiuggle aie unpiouuctive anu tiy
to sheltei stuuents fiom them. This cultuie neeus to change. While I was sitting in an elementaiy
classioom in Shanghai iecently, the piincipal leaneu ovei to tell me that the teachei was calling on
stuuents who hau maue mistakes to shaie with the whole class so that they coulu all leain. The stuuents
seemeu pleaseu to be given the oppoitunity to shaie theii incoiiect thinking. Insteau of classiooms
filleu with shoit questions stuuents aie intenueu to get iight oi wiong, mathematics classiooms neeu to
be filleu with open-enueu tasks that incluue space foi leaining as well as space foi stiuggle anu giowth
(www.youcubeu.oig).


Foi mathematics to become a leaining subject with ioom foi mistakes anu giowth, teacheis neeu to
make stuuents feel goou about mistakes anu comfoitable with stiuggle. When I taught a iecent online
!8)0 ($+1/-$( $) (//
*#$%/*#$',( #( #
(+9:/,$ ); 3/#0-'-2< -)$
=/0;)0*'-2< $%/7 -//1
$#(>( #-1 ?+/($')-( '-
*#$% ,3#(( $%#$ %#@/
(=#,/ $) 3/#0- 9+'3$ '-A4




S
class anu shaieu the mistakes ieseaich with foiwaiu-thinking mathematics teacheis, they came up with a
iange of ways foi getting stuuents to value mistakes
(http:www.telegiaph.co.ukeuucationuniveisityeuucation1u4149890niveisity-euucation-
matuiing-of-the-Nooc.html, http:tinyuil.comoz4u4ga). 0ne teachei, on the fiist uay of school, askeu hei
stuuents to ciumple up a piece of papei anu thiow it at the wall in a way that expiesseu the feelings
they hau when they maue a mistake in math. She then askeu them to ietiieve the papei, unciumple, anu
use a coloieu maikei to highlight all the cieases left on the papei; these, she explaineu, symbolizeu the
biain giowth that comes fiom mistakes. She hau the stuuents hang on to theii biain giowth uiagiams
foi the school yeai.

0thei changes neeu to happen as well. Nathematics teacheis neeu to
stop fiequent, timeu testing; ieplace giaues with uiagnostic feeuback
(Black et al. 2uu2; Boalei & Fostei 2u14); anu ueemphasize speeu, so
that the stuuents who think slowly anu ueeply aie not leu to believe
they aie not capable (Boalei 2u14). Peihaps most significantly anu
most iauically, schools shoulu also iemove fixeu stuuent gioupings
that tiansmit fixeu minuset messages anu ieplace them with flexible
gioupings that iecognize that stuuents have uiffeient stiengths at
uiffeient times (Boalei 2uu9; Boalei & Fostei 2u14).

Foitunately these changes aie entiiely consistent with what is known
about goou teaching anu leaining. Becaues of ieseaich show that
when stuuents engage actively with mathematicswoik on long,
applieu pioblems with ioom foi stiuggle anu giowthanu ieceive
positive messages about theii potential, they succeeu (Boalei 2uu9;
Schoenfelu 2uu2). The new Common Coie mathematics stanuaius (http:www.coiestanuaius.oig)
incluue a set of eight mathematical piactices that iequiie stuuents to woik in these ways, anu they aie a
step in the iight uiiection.

Cuiiently thiee fifths of 0.S. stuuents fail mathematics, anu mathematics is a haishly inequitable subject
(Kozol 2u12; Silva & White 2u1S). When oui classiooms changewhen stuuents aie encouiageu to
believe they can be successful in mathematics anu aie taught using the high-quality teaching methous they
ueseivethe lanuscape of mathematics teaching anu leaining in the 0niteu States will change foievei
(Boalei & Fostei 2u14). We will have many moie confiuent anu capable mathematics leaineis, anu they
will go on to become teacheis of mathematics who inspiie futuie geneiations to fuithei success in
science, technology, anu mathematics.



This aiticle oiiginally appeaieu on the Beinemann Bigital Campus. If you'u like unlimiteu access to moie aiticles like
this, as well as viueo clips anu full-length books, subsciibe now:
http:www.heinemann.comuigitalcampusiefeienceLibiaiy.aspx






;',/ <#/8&*# =)'"
Fiequent timeu
tests
Numbei Talks
uiaues
Biagnostic
feeuback
Emphasizing
Speeu
Time to think
slowly anu ueeply
Ability uiouping
Beteiogeneous
anu flexible
gioupings





4

<#-#4#2*#+

Black, P., C. Baiiison, C, Lee, B. Naishall & B. Wiliam. 2uu2. <"9:)*6 =*+)'& ,0& >5?$: >"@- A++&++;&*, 7"9
B&?9*)*6 )* ,0& C5?++9"";. Lonuon: Bept of Euucation & Piofessional Stuuies, King's College.
Boalei, }. 2uu9. <0?,D+ (?,0 E", ," F" <),0 =,G H"2 3?9&*,+ ?*' /&?$0&9+ C?* H&5I C0)5'9&* B&?9* ," B"J&
/0&)9 B&?+, K?J"9),& 8#%L&$,. New Yoik: Penguin.
Boalei, }. 2u1Sa. "Ability anu Nathematics: The Ninuset Revolution That Is Reshaping Euucation."
KMNO( SS(1): 14S-S2.
Boalei, }. 2u1Sb. "The Steiotypes That Bistoit Bow Ameiicans Teach anu Leain Nath." /0& A,5?*,)$,
Novembei 12.
Boalei, }. 2u14. "Reseaich Suggests That Timeu Tests Cause Nath Anxiety."
/&?$0)*6 C0)5'9&* (?,0&;?,)$+ 2u(8): 469-74.
Boalei, }. & B. Fostei. 2u14. "Raising Expectations anu Achievement: The Impact of Wiue Scale
Nathematics Refoim uiving All Stuuents Access to Bigh Quality Nathematics,"
http:www.youcubeu.oig.
Bweck, C. S. 2uu6. ()*'+&,- /0& 1&2 3+4$0"5"64 "7 8#$$&++. New Yoik: Ballantine.
Kozol, }. 2u12. 8?J?6& =*&P#?5),)&+- C0)5'9&* )* A;&9)$?D+ 8$0""5+. New Yoik: BaipeiPeiennial!
Naguiie, E., K. Woollett & B. Spieis. 2uu6. "Lonuon Taxi Biiveis anu Bus Biiveis: A Stiuctuial NRI anu
Neuiopsychological Analysis." H)II"$?;I#+ 16(12): 1u91-1u1.
Nosei, }., B. S. Schiouei, C. Beetei, T. P. Noian & Y. B. Lee. 2u11. "Ninu Youi Eiiois: Eviuence foi a
Neuial Nechanism Linking uiowth Ninuset to Auaptive Post Eiioi Aujustments."
3+4$0"5"6)$?5 8$)&*$& 22: 1484-9.
Piogiamme foi Inteinational Stuuent Assessment (PISA). 2u12. 3=8A QRSQ N&+#5,+ )* K"$#+- <0?, STU!&?9U
M5'+ V*"2 ?*' <0?, /0&4 C?* F" <),0 <0?, /0&4 V*"2W Paiis, Fiance: 0ECB.
Schoenfelu, A. 2uu2. "Naking Nathematics Woik foi All Chiluien: Issues of Stanuaius, Testing, anu
Equity." X'#$?,)"*?5 N&+&?9$0&9, }anuaiy- Febiuaiy.
Silva, E. & T. White. 2u1S. "Pathways to Impiovement: 0sing Psychological Stiategies to Belp College
Stuuents Nastei Bevelopmental Nath." Cainegie Founuation foi the Auvancement of Teaching.

http:www.telegiaph.co.ukeuucationuniveisityeuucation1u4149890niveisity-euucation-
matuiing-of-the-Nooc.html