What is Mindset GPS?
There are many learning mindsets that practitioners might target to support students. Mindset GPS focuses on three of the most impactful and thoroughly studied learning mindsets that help students navigate the postsecondary transition.
G
Growth Mindset
Belief that intelligence can be developed through hard work, use of effective strategies, and help from others when needed.
P
Purpose & Relevance
Belief that schoolwork is valuable because it is connected to a larger purpose and/or relevant to one’s life.
S
Sense of Belonging
Belief that one is academically and socially connected, supported, and respected.
More than just personality traits
Students’ learning mindsets are more than just personality traits; they are shaped and maintained by the cultural, social, and learning context in which students interact. Fostering students’ learning mindsets is a promising approach to support students transitioning to postsecondary pathways because learning mindsets are meaningful, malleable, and measurable. When these three learning mindsets are supported at the systems level, students are more likely to feel equipped with tools to navigate key transitional periods in their lives, especially the one between high school and postsecondary opportunities. Research suggests that when programs cultivate contexts that support well-developed Mindset GPS, their students are more motivated to take on challenging work, more likely to persist in the face of setbacks, and more likely to achieve at higher levels. This body of research is simultaneously rigorous and disproportionately focused on majority populations and experiences. We supplement this knowledge by highlighting work from researchers who explicitly partnered with historically marginalized communities. Insights are also informed by our program partners, who serve historically marginalized students in their communities. Please view our reference list here.
Review REference list
