We all know that if a 13-year-old has his mind set on
something, it is quite difficult to try to change it. This
is exactly the type of challenge that the Ministry of
Education in Peru is approaching with students in
public schools and high schools, targeting those from
low-income households in particular.
Teenagers often have pre-conceived ideas about their
own intelligence, which influences how they react to
academic challenges. If a student thinks he is not smart
enough, he believes there is little he can do to improve.
But there’s good news: recent studies have shown that
intelligence is not immutable and unalterable. On the
contrary – with practice, we can expand our intellectual
capabilities over time.
The Ministry of Education in Peru is using these findings
to improve outcomes for students in public high schools,
especially those from low-income households. The
handout students in Peru received explains it simply:
“Everyone knows that when you lift weights your muscles
grow stronger. Scientists have discovered the brain
works in the same way; when you face big challenges
your brain also grows.”