ABSTRACT
This chapter continues the discussion of students’ internal motivation by discussing how parent involvement efforts might influence students’ motivational mindset or outlook for learning. This includes an introduction to the work in mindset and adaptive goal orientation, links to views on intelligence and effort, and strategies for resilience and coping with setback. Carol Dweck’s research shows that just teaching students the strategies is not enough. Learners first have to be motivated to put strategies into practice, and this occurs when we change their mindset about learning. Therefore, in order to truly motivate students toward independent learning, educators first must set the stage by encouraging a growth mindset. This chapter shares parent involvement strategies for encouraging a growth mindset and a mastery orientation approach to learning. Strategies discussed include designing meaningful and authentic learning homework tasks that allow for student choice and encouraging parents to help kids create concrete plans and self-set goals. This encouragement extends to praising their efforts in the learning process and helping kids to understand that failure is a natural part of learning and should be framed into opportunities for future learning goals and finding more effective strategies. Ultimately, this encourages a more adaptive perspective on failure experiences during learning. Such a motivational disposition, and growth mindset, will support students’ learning throughout their school years and help them be successful in the classroom and in their professional lives.
