The relationship between mindset and students with specific learning disabilities

The purpose of this research study is to address differing achievement motivation and academic performance in students who have learning difficulties. Based in social psychology, inferring theories relating to motivation behaviors, the goal of this study is to find out if growth mindset skills can be taught to students with a specific learning disability. A specific learning disability is a disparity found in an individual's basic psychological processing. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Of 2004, (IDEA) identifies these students as those who lack the perfect ability to understand spoken or written language, thus adversely affecting their ability to attend to, and achieve, at grade level reading, writing, and math. Mindset is what everyone believes about their capabilities, affecting the way we think and learn. Research shows there are two mindsets: growth (Incremental Theory) and fixed (Entity Theory). A growth mindset is preferable and can be learned. People with a growth mindset believe their intelligence and abilities develop over time with practice. Some individuals with learning disabilities have compromised learning motivation and social skills. Many of these students have a fixed mindset. Yet other students, with same disability, have a growth mindset and eventually become self directed in their learning. This study will contrast growth mindset to fixed mindset. A single case design study was used to compare mindsets. Implicit Theory instruments were administered to determine fixed or growth mindset. An intervention followed, teaching growth mindset skills to those students with specific learning disabilities demonstrating a fixed mindset.