Which strategy best promotes a growth mindset when students encounter setbacks?

• A. Emphasize innate ability and avoid discussing errors.
• B. Emphasize effort, celebrate progress, provide constructive feedback, and model reflective practice after setbacks.
• C. Ignore errors and move on.
• D. Rely solely on standardized tests to measure growth.

Answer: (B)

A growth mindset is reinforced when setbacks are treated as opportunities to learn rather than as proof of fixed ability. The best approach emphasizes effort, celebrates progress, provides constructive and specific feedback, and models reflective practice after a setback. This shows students that abilities develop with work and strategy changes, that mistakes point to what to try next, and that thinking aloud about their process helps them improve.

Other approaches don’t support this mindset as effectively. Focusing on innate talent implies abilities are fixed and can undermine perseverance when challenges arise. Ignoring errors prevents learning from what went wrong, and relying only on standardized tests emphasizes performance over ongoing growth and resilience.