Develop critical thinking skills to develop a growth mindset
Introduction — We can only improve if we think we can
As a skinny teenager, I always wanted to be bigger and stronger. As such, when I was in university, I decided to go to the gym every day. However, after a few years of weight training, I was still not as strong as most people in the gym.
I tried many programmes, such as periodisation, one-body-part-a-day, or push-pull. I have tried them all, but the improvement was slow. I thought I had poor genetics because others were improving faster than me.
One day, while doing squats, another gym-goer, “Noor,” asked if he could share the barbell with me. As we took turns doing the squats and spotted each other, we started chatting.
I shared that I had been squatting 60kg for two years and was still struggling with it. I said that 60kg seemed to be my limit. And I did not think I could ever lift anything heavier.
Noor asked, “Why not?” I replied, “Because I can’t.” Then he asked again, “Why not?” I replied, “How can I add more weight when I am already struggling?” Then he asked again, “Why not?”
I was frustrated by his questioning. But I decided not to debate anymore, so I told him, “OK, I will try a heavier weight next time.”
On my way home, I wondered what I could have said to convince him. But no matter the response was, I thought he would just reply, “Why not?”
Suddenly, I asked myself, “Why not? What if I told myself to believe that I could lift 65kg? Would that added confidence help me overcome those weights?”
On the next leg training day, I told myself, “I WILL squat 65kg!” After doing three sets of squats with 40kg, 50 kg, and 60kg, I loaded five more kilograms.
That extra five kilograms looked intimidating. I thought I could not lift the weight for even one repetition. However, I told myself, “I can!” I put the bar on my shoulders and went down. I grunted and lifted the weight.
Surprisingly, it seemed lighter than I had expected. I did the same self-talk and lifted the second repetition. I repeated the process for the next three repetitions and completed five!
A few weeks later, my muscles adapted to the weight. It was much easier to lift 65kg. After hitting plateaus for two years, I finally saw improvement. As I continued to develop my self-belief, I lifted heavier weights.
If Noor had never asked me, “Why not?” I might still be lifting 60kg today. I used to think that everyone has a natural limit to their abilities. I thought that if you put in the effort and did not see improvement, it meant you had reached your ceiling.
Teaching students to have a growth mindset is more than a lecture
Going to the gym taught me many things. It taught me about discipline and commitment. Then, perhaps the most important thing I learned is the importance of a growth mindset.
Having a makes us believe our talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. Having a , on the other hand, makes us think our intelligence, talents, and personalities are fixed traits.
To make it relatable, imagine two teachers: “Mr GM” and “Mr FM.” Mr GM has a growth mindset, and Mr FM has a fixed mindset.
Mr GM believed that “the best is yet to come.” He constantly questioned himself on how he could make his students better people. Mr GM also believed he would achieve his aspirations if he continued to practice and reflect.
Mr FM, on the other hand, saw the students as they were. He regularly complained about the students’ behaviour. He also felt the discipline committee could have done more to “discipline” these students.
What do you think would happen in ten years?
Mr GM will likely be a skilled teacher. As he constantly seeks improvement, he will be able to transform his students into self-directed, lifelong learners.
Mr FM, on the other hand, may continue his complaining. His impact on the students would probably be the same, no matter how much “professional development” he has.
When I had a fixed mindset, I thought I could never lift anything heavier than 60kg. Because of the lack of self-belief, no matter how many times I tried, I could not improve. But when I started telling myself that I could, I really did!
“If you believe it, you can achieve it.”
When our students have a growth mindset, they will work harder and do better. That is why most of us have to teach “Growth Mindset” in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).
However, a growth mindset is more than just knowledge — it’s a way of thinking that develops over time through consistent practice and habits. As such, it cannot be cultivated through a single lecture.
For instance, many of us have been taught that “practice makes perfect.” We have also heard the saying, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” But knowing these does not mean we have a growth mindset.
I followed a weights training programme religiously. And I understood the overloading principles. However, because I did not believe I could lift a heavier weight, I did not improve.
Similarly, our students can attend all our Physical Education (PE) lessons. And they can follow all our instructions obediently. If they do not believe they can do well in the sport, they will not push hard. And they will not improve.
If they do not improve, how would they appreciate learning the sport?
Therefore, we must constantly nurture their self-beliefs in the lessons. Only then will they develop a growth mindset. And only then will they put more effort into the practice.
But what does it look like in the classroom?
Develop their critical thinking skills to develop a growth mindset
Noor taught me to always ask myself, “Why not?” And Mr GM constantly questioned himself about what else he could do to have a greater impact.
People with growth mindsets are always reflecting. And ask what they can do to improve their outcomes. They think critically about the situation and constantly find ways to improve it.
To develop our students into critical thinkers, we have to provide them with many opportunities to discuss and reflect. It should not merely be one inquiry-based lesson. It should be a routine in almost EVERY lesson.
As I have discussed in many of my blogs, questioning does not need to be time-consuming. It took Noor only one second to ask me, “Why not?” That question sparked many reflections after that.
Similarly, in the PE lesson, discussion does not need to affect the practice time. There are too many debates about whether PE lessons should include discussion. Instead of debating, we should think about the purpose of discussions.
Social interaction enhances learning. It develops student-to-student relationships and makes the learning environment safe. That is why I believe we should always allow some discussion. Even one minute of discussion is better than no discussion.
In fact, if done well, the discussion makes the learning environment safe, increases students’ motivation level, and can even increase their practice time!
Try this after a five-minute passing drill: Ask them to discuss with their partners, “How can you modify the task to increase the success rate?” You can give them some possible answers, such as standing closer or throwing softer.
Many students tend to think that the practice tasks are always suitable for them. If they make many mistakes, that is because they are not focusing. Or they are not talented enough.
However, a failed passing attempt can result from many factors. For example, they might stand too far apart, or the pass might have been too fast for the receiver to catch.
Students must understand that there is always a better way when things are not going well. If not, they will continue to make mistakes. And they cannot improve when the practice is constantly breaking down?
We want the students to always think, “I am just as good as others. When I am not seeing improvement, I can always change something. If changing the technique is not helping, I should change the task.”
Sometimes, failures come from a lack of self-belief. Students think they are not good enough, so they dare not try. For example, I often noticed students trying to dodge the defenders but did not continue the run to receive the pass.
To overcome such issues, try using a team-talk approach. Ask them to discuss how they can increase each other’s confidence. We can also ask them to talk about what went well in the game and what improvement they want to make.
At the end of the lesson, we can do a one-minute think-pair-share on what has worked well for them. This routine helps them know that they are improving, which will develop the belief that they will improve if they continue to practice.
Over time, students will start to question positively. They will stop complaining about the task. And start making the tasks enjoyable for themselves.
Conclusion — We cannot develop a growth mindset overnight. But we can!
Again, I emphasise that such an inquiry approach should not be a once-off. It should be built in every lesson. Our mindsets can only change over many months of practice.
Conversations spark deeper thoughts. As such, it is not necessary to discuss until they come up with the best answer. What is important is that they have a plan. They can change the plan as long as it helps them to improve.
We want the students to think critically about the task, constantly reflect on their performance, and remove all the apostrophes “t” from their dictionaries. We want our students to IMPROVE, not merely engage in the tasks.
We know we have done a good job if our students set high expectations for themselves. We hope that one day, when we lower our expectations, our students ask us, “Why not?”
