It’s the last day of school and everyone is looking forward to the well-deserved break, but before we head off to eat mince pies and drink mulled wine I thought it was time to reflect on where I am with the research journey.
The project is running smoothly and what I am really enjoying is being able to work with other staff members to try and find ways which develop pupil’s literacy in a subtle yet consciously crafted way. I have read (a lot) of articles/books and still have many more to read but some stand out points so far have to be a quote I saw from Kofi Annan about literacy.
Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, outlined the significance that literacy holds within today’s societies: “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope…a bulwark against poverty…Literacy is a platform from democratisation…It is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.” Kofi Annan (1997).
In looking at attitudes towards literacy I have come across how people’s mindset seems to play at part in how they approach the topic. Alfred Binet’s work on children presented the idea that other philosophers were wrong in their desire to see intelligence as something that was fixed. Binet claimed that: “We must protest and react against this brutal pessimism…With every practice, training, and above all, method we manage to increase our attention, our memory, our judgement and literally become more intelligent than we were before.” Binet (1909/1975) cited in Siegler.
I’m sure many a teacher will agree that during their career there has always been that student which has led to you agonising over student progress, however it may be that the answer has lain beyond the classroom all along. Carole Dweck’s research returned to some of Binet’s initial views and established that our mindset can determine where we end up in life. Dweck outlined that there are growth and fixed mindsets. The view that you adopt for yourself will affect the way, as an individual, you lead your life (Dweck, 2000).
Dweck’s fixed mindset is a mindset where the individual only has a certain amount of intelligence, personality and a certain moral character; there is no potential for improvement. Whereas with the growth mindset an individual believes that this is their starting point and it is a point from which they can develop. (ibid.) The true potential for a growth mindset is unknown and this links back to Binet, as with work and determination, who knows what a person can achieve.
I am looking forward to exploring the aspect of mindset within teachers to see if they feel it plays a part in their teaching of literacy. It’s already resulted in me reflecting upon my mindset and appreciating what views I approach tasks with and I will continue that into 2016 for sure. But for now it’s time to head off for that mulled wine and those mince pies.
Merry Christmas.
References
Annan, K. (1997), ‘Secretary-General Stresses Need for Political Will and Resources to Meet Challenge of Fight against Illiteracy’ – United Nations speech 4 September 1997 http://www.un.org/press/en/1997/19970904.SGSM6316.html Electronically accessed 15 November, 2015.
Binet, A. (1975) quoted in Siegler, R.S., (1992), ‘The other Alfred Binet’, Developmental Psychology, Vol. 28. No.2, pp.179–190.
Dweck, C.S. (2000), Self theories: Their role in motivation, personality and development. Hove: Taylor Francis.
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