What happens when I welcome mistakes in the classroom?

Rationale

Over the course of my induction year I have gained an interest in the links between growth mindset and making mistakes in the classroom. It is believed that a growth mindset is something that children can learn. Evidence has suggested that the fear of making mistakes and the associated shame, can completely stop children from giving something a go in the first place. It is with this in mind, I undertook this professional enquiry to determine whether welcoming mistakes in the classroom can change children’s perceptions of making mistakes.

Aims

The aim of this enquiry was to use a planned and structured approach to measure how children feel about making mistakes in the classroom. The enquiry was focused specifically on how children in a primary six class felt about making mistakes during number talks in numeracy.