Exploring the designing of a growth mindset curriculum in a Singaporean school

Abstract

This research was positioned against two recent movements in Singapore’s education landscape: the move for schools to develop their own curricula, and the move to empower individuals for lifelong learning. <br> Schools developing their own curricula: Since the onset of the Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) movement, schools have been involving teachers in “designing, implementing and studying different approaches for engaged learning” (MOE, 2008) through the school-based curriculum innovations (SCI). <br> Empowering individuals for lifelong learning: In his speech at the 19th appointment and appreciation ceremony for principals, the Minister of Education reminded that the “purpose of education must … be beyond just academics. It must be to prepare our students for life, for work and for citizenship”. He emphasized that to “prepare our students for life in an uncertain world, being self-reliant and having the resilience to bounce back after setbacks will be increasingly important” (Ng, 2016). This includes “entrepreneurial dare”, which is “an attitude, a mindset of pushing boundaries, of wanting to innovate and to find a breakthrough” (Ng, 2017). Dweck (2006) described such a mindset as the growth mindset. The converse of the growth mindset is the fixed mindset, which leads to behaviours that inhibit learning (e.g. worrying about looking smart and not making mistakes; being discouraged or defensive in the face of setbacks and failure).