Product reviews for The Student Mindset

The Student Mindset by Steve Oakes and Martin Griffin explains their findings from extensive research into the best qualities of high performing learners throughout their journeys to success.

This book is an effective guide to help plan and execute successful learning. The authors believe that there are five key traits and behaviours that students need to master in order to make their education a success. These five traits vision, effort, systems, practice and attitude need to work in sync to beat the challenges of studying.

Each of the five characteristics have separate parts in the book containing clear analysis of current theories based in education at the moment. Steve and Martin have used many studies to come to their conclusions during the production of this book that takes anyone through the six section sequence when exploring a new course, topic or subject. It enhances the need for learners to prepare for learning by producing their own manifesto of intent and committing to it to set them on the right path towards a successful experience and avoid the fear of failure. This being a valid point as many students that I teach in Dorset struggle with their own confidence and it can hinder their achievements. Breaking the cycle of negative thoughts will help them to see the future by using the guiding questions in the book to see the signs that lead them to believing that they can achieve whatever they choose with the correct mindset.

Each chapter in the book addresses different ways to help students to retain and understand the vast amount of knowledge they have to take on in a day at school using strategies that could suit any of the unique learners within the educational environment that they attend.

This book would help any educators to think about and evaluate their own teaching pedagogy and adapt it to the needs of their classes so that they can make the intended progress that they need to. It will give ideas to staff who want to make sure that all their pupils can access the curriculum and remember the learning that has taken place to use at a later date in their assessments.

I would recommend this book to any member of staff that might need a refreshing look at other techniques and strategies to help any of the learners that they see on a weekly basis in their schools and also the sections on revision techniques and how to retain all the knowledge would be extremely beneficial to those taking any examinations in the not so distant future. I especially like the connections to the current theories in education and how this book fits in with them.



I believe that this book could also help anyone trying to learn anything no matter how old they are, the techniques and strategies are valid whether you are a sixteen-year-old about to sit GCSEs or a mature student revisiting your education at sixty years young.

PROS:

- Students battle through difficult times and this acknowledges there are many ways to address the issues facing young people today in education.
- A vast variety of methods to help struggling learners to combat their difficulties and succeed.
- Separate chapters to describe the five characteristics of successful learners can guide anyone learning anything to become a high performing student.
- Clearly, teacher shortage will damage the students and it is about time someone highlighted the issue that no one will acknowledge.
- This book could also help anyone trying to learn anything no matter how old they are.