2.2 The Mindset of a Motivated Learner

In this section, you will continue to increase your ability as an informed learner. Here you will explore how much of an influence motivation has on learning, as well as how to use motivation to purposefully take an active role in any learning activity. Rather than passively attempting to absorb new information, you will learn how to make conscious decisions about the methods of learning you will use (based on what you intend to do with the information), how you will select and use learning materials that are appropriate for your needs, and how persistent you will be in the learning activity. You will find that each of the strategies and techniques mentioned in this chapter will enable you to engage with learning material in a way that not only suits your needs, but also gives you ownership over your own learning processes.

• Motivation is defined as the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.
• Conscious Decision Making  is defined as the action or process of making decisions with awareness and knowledge; especially important ones.

‘Resilience’ Image by nonmisvegliate from Pixabay

Resilience

• Resilience can be defined as personal perseverance toward a task or goal. In learning, it can be thought of as a trait that drives a person to keep trying until they succeed. It is not tied to talent or ability, but is simply a tendency to not give up until something is finished or accomplished.

Understanding the act of resilience

The concept of becoming resilient is an easy one to dismiss as something taken for granted. In our culture, we have a number of sayings and aphorisms that capture the essence of resilience: “If at first you do not succeed, try, try again,” or the famous quote by Thomas Edison: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

The problem is we all understand the concept, but actually applying it takes work. If the task we are trying to complete is a difficult one, it can take a lot of work.

The first step in applying resilience is,

• to adopt an attitude that looks directly to the end goal as the only acceptable outcome.
• With this attitude comes an acceptance that you may not succeed on the first attempt—or the nineteenth attempt.
• Failed attempts are viewed as merely part of the process and seen as a very useful way to gain knowledge that moves you toward success.

An example of this would be your course assignments. You started the first assignment by simply reading the assignment expectations and answered questions briefly. You were surprised at the low score on the assignment. 

For your second assignment, rather than being disappointed at your previous grade, you decide to review all parts of the assignment carefully. You also took the time to read the faculty feedback provided on your first assignment. Your marks on the second assignment improved a lot. You still feel you have not received a score you were aiming for.

On the third assignment, you make notes as the faculty is explaining the assignment expectations. You are actively engaged during this class and ask lots of questions to seek clarification on all parts of the assignment. You also note down and highlight key words and review the grading guide . While completing this assignment, you keep referring to the grading guide and your notes to ensure you have covered all parts of the assignment. You are thrilled at the A+ you received and the faculty feedback on how you are improving in the quality of your work.

This is how you have demonstrated resilience. You do not stop or get discouraged, instead you changed your approach to use other methods to succeed and accomplish your goal of receiving a higher mark on your assignments.

The above mentioned steps of building resilience can easily be applied to all parts of your college life from assignment submissions, studying for tests, group work, presentations and field placements. Resilient students know how to bounce back and never give up. Resilient students can accept and work on the feedback received.

How Do You Become Resilient?

Angela Duckworth is known for her research on grit, a strength she defines as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Duckworth has found grit to be a common factor among the high-achievers she has studied. Her work suggests that grit is unrelated to IQ but is closely related to conscientiousness.

Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Let us review the five basic ideas emphasized by Duckworth. What follows is a brief introduction to each. Note that each thing listed here begins with a verb. In other words, it is an activity for you to do and keep doing in order to build resilience.

1. Pursue what interests you.

Personal interest is a great motivator! People tend to have more resilience when pursuing things that they have developed an interest in.

2. Practice until you can do it, and then keep practicing.

The idea of practicing has been applied to every skill in human experience. The reason everyone seems to be so fixated with practice is because it is effective.

3. Find a purpose in what you do.

Purpose is truly the driver for anything we pursue. If you have a strong purpose in any activity, you have reason to persist at it. Think in terms of end goals and why doing something is worth it. Purpose answers the question of “Why should I accomplish this?”

4. Have hope in what you are doing.

Have hope in what you are doing and in how it will make things different for you or others. While this is somewhat related to purpose, it should be viewed as a separate and positive overall outlook in regard to what you are trying to achieve. Hope gives value to purpose. If purpose is the goal, hope is why the goal is worth attaining at all.

5. Surround yourself with resilient people.

Persistence and tenacity tend to rub off on others, and the opposite does as well. As social creatures we often adopt the behaviors we find in the groups we hang out with. If you are surrounded by people that quit early, before achieving their goals, you may find it acceptable to give up early as well. On the other hand, if your peers are all achievers with resilience, you will tend to exhibit resilience yourself.

Duckworth’s theory is closely connected to the next research model around two mindsets; Fixed Vs Growth mindset. Growth mindset will allow you to learn, grow and embrace challenges, in turn building Grit.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

The research-based model of these two mindsets and their influence on learning was presented in 1988 by Carol Dweck. In Dr. Dweck’s work, she determined that a student’s perception about their own learning accompanied by a broader goal of learning had a significant influence on their ability to overcome challenges and grow in knowledge and ability. This has become known as the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset model. In this model, the performance-goal-oriented student is represented by the fixed mindset, while the learning-goal-oriented student is represented by the growth mindset.

In the following graphic, based on Dr. Dweck’s research, you can see how many of the components associated with learning are impacted by these two mindsets.

Image – The differences between fixed and growth mindset are clear when aligned to key elements of learning and personality. (Credit: Based on work by Dr. Carol Dweck)