Unit 6, Task 2 B: Understanding and Applying Growth Mindset through Cooperative Learning

1. How Cooperative Learning Skills Contribute to Developing a Growth Mindset in Young Students?
The article ‘The Effect of Teaching Cooperative Learning Skills on Developing Young Students’ Growth Mindset’ (Alina, 2016) presents compelling evidence that explicitly teaching cooperative learning structures significantly influences children’s development of a growth mindset. The study emphasises that when young learners are placed in environments where cooperation, shared responsibility, and peer learning are embedded in daily routines, they are more likely to internalise the belief that intelligence and ability can grow through effort and perseverance.

According to the article, students who regularly engage in structured cooperative activities begin to see mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as signs of failure. For instance, when children are taught how to give and receive feedback, listen to others’ reasoning, and discuss multiple ways to solve a problem, they become more open to challenge. One key finding from the study is that cooperative learning environments encourage risk-taking in a safe, supportive space, which is essential for developing resilience and self-efficacy in the early years.

In addition, the article highlights the role of cooperative skills, such as turn-taking, helping one another, and celebrating group successes, as fundamental tools in fostering growth mindset attitudes. These interactions teach children that success is not solely individual, but can be collective, and that everyone benefits from each other’s learning journey. For example, a child who initially struggles with a phonics task may gain confidence after hearing a peer explain the same concept in simpler terms during a group discussion. In this way, the social dynamic inherent in cooperative learning enables learners to witness effort, progress, and success in real time, reinforcing growth-oriented thinking.

The findings resonate strongly with Carol Dweck’s video ‘Developing a Growth Mindset’, in which she explains that a growth mindset is nurtured when learners are encouraged to value effort, embrace challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks. Dweck describes how using the word ‘yet’ changes the way children perceive ability, turning ‘I can’t do this’ into ‘I can’t do this yet.’ Cooperative learning provides numerous natural opportunities to reinforce this idea, especially when children are encouraged to work together and support one another through difficulties rather than compete for the right answers.

2. Designing a Cooperative Learning Activity to Foster a Growth Mindset:
In my Foundation Stage 1 (FS1) classroom, where the focus is currently on phonics— specifically sounds such as /s/, /a/, /t/, /c/, /m/, /i/, and /p/—and blending these to form CVC words such as sat, mat, and cat, I have designed a cooperative learning activity using the Think-Pair-Share structure. This structure is highly suitable for young learners due to its simplicity, predictability, and opportunities for shared dialogue.
Activity Overview: Phonics Blending with Think-Pair-Share
Think: I present a large picture card showing a cat, with the letters c-a-t segmented below it. I model the sound blending slowly (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/). I then ask children to think quietly to themselves: ‘What sounds can you hear in the word cat?’

Pair: Children are then partnered up. I intentionally create heterogeneous pairs to balance ability levels. In their pairs, children take turns saying the word slowly, pointing to each sound, and blending it. They are encouraged to help each other if their partner is unsure or forgets a sound.

Share: Pairs then share what they discovered with the whole class. I select a few volunteers or model the sharing process with puppet partners to reduce anxiety. We repeat and celebrate attempts—even when they are not yet accurate.

Growth Mindset Link:
This activity supports the development of a growth mindset by normalising mistakes, encouraging effort over speed, and enabling peer learning. The paired format helps build resilience and confidence by creating a supportive environment for risk-taking and trial-and-error learning.
Cooperative Learning Link
The Think-Pair-Share strategy meets key cooperative learning principles such as positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation, and face-to-face interaction. It encourages children to support and learn from each other while developing communication and reasoning skills.
3. Conclusion:
Both the research article and Carol Dweck’s video highlight the importance of creating classroom cultures where effort, persistence, and collaboration are valued over performance and perfection. Cooperative learning structures like Think-Pair-Share provide a developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and engaging framework for FS1 students to practise these skills. By combining phonics instruction with a collaborative and reflective approach, I can help my students not only improve their literacy skills but also internalise a mindset that sees mistakes as stepping stones and effort as the key to success.