Growth Mindset-Supportive Teacher Feedback in Early Elementary Math Classes: Qualitative Case Studies

• In Event: Teacher-Student and Peer Relationships as Learning Contexts

Abstract

Research has shown that growth mindset development can have a valuable impact on the motivation, persistence and achievement of traditionally low-achieving students – especially in mathematics (Paunesku et al., 2015). Those with a growth mindset tend to persist through challenges and to see them as an opportunity for growth and learning rather than a defeat and a signal to quit (Dweck, 2007). Teachers can influence how students see their own abilities in relation to mathematics (Sun, 2018). Thus, it is important to understand the ways in which teachers interact with and affect their students’ perceptions of their math abilities. Teachers stand to benefit students when they create a classroom environment supportive of a growth mindset by offering relevant and supportive feedback. One line of research has looked at the ways in which teacher feedback, defined as a “process of appraising, judging or evaluating students’ work or performance and using this to shape and improve students’ competence” (Tunstall & Gipps, 1996, pp. 186), shapes a growth mindset (Gunderson et al., 2016). The majority of research on feedback, however, has been conducted in either lab settings or through classroom interventions and has been restricted to upper elementary and above.
To address these gaps, the current study employed a qualitative analysis, including an observational tool and transcription, aimed to describe the kind of feedback teachers give in the early elementary context when students are just starting their academic careers. More specifically, using a sample of four, recorded, first-grade mathematics lessons obtained from an online, mathematics, professional development website for elementary teachers, I employed Tunstall and Gipps’ (1996) feedback typology to examine the quantity and type of feedback given by teachers during whole class math lessons. Two case studies that will be discussed in-depth are indicative of the themes that were discovered in all lessons analyzed. Results indicated that teachers offered prolific amounts of feedback during whole class math lessons, the majority of which was growth-mindset-supportive. The style of lesson was found to affect the type of feedback offered. Teacher 1 asked for volunteers to share their work, strategies and answers with the class. She used an abundance of highly complementary feedback (e.g., “good job!”) combined with an equal amount of constructive feedback. In contrast, Teacher 2 shared student work anonymously and asked students to analyze it and give feedback. She used feedback that highlighted the things that were done well by the anonymous students, along with reasons why and the specifics of how. Both of these styles of feedback are growth-mindset supportive: The latter reinforces strategies that are useful while the former gives a path forward for those who are struggling. Understanding the variety of ways that lessons are structured and how that corresponds with feedback will help teachers to understand more readily how to strategically use feedback that fits their goals for developing student mindset and for helping all students to become more motivated learners. Examples and discussions of each style will be presented along with implications for future practice and research.
 

Group Authors

Kate Curry

Author

• Katy Curry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author