ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the controversy around and backlash against growth mindset research and ideas. It explores some of the issues raised by the difficulty of replicating Dweck’s seminal studies and the problems caused by oversimplification and misunderstanding of the ideas within self-theory. Chief among these is the potentially harmful application of mindset theory as an effort-based silver bullet, where students who do not succeed might be blamed for “not trying hard enough” rather than helped to succeed another way. The idea of the false growth mindset is introduced and explained. The chapter contains honest accounts of the author “getting it wrong” in relation to implementing a growth mindset, but learning the lessons and improving with each refinement.
