ABSTRACT
In this chapter the author uses an old motto from the NASA space programme to structure the argument in favour of explicitly teaching the attitudes required for educational success. The chapter takes in a wide range of research into exactly what does make an effective attitude, drawing on studies from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to establish the core features. It goes on to examine whether or not it is possible, or desirable, to accurately assess and measure someone’s attitude to learning, before unpicking the challenge of finding suitable language to discuss attitudes with young people and their families. The chapter concludes with examples of how attitude scales have been successfully deployed in the author’s own schools, providing a mechanism to enable mindset interventions across the student body.
