We read maybe 20 scientific research articles over the course of the quarter. This assignment summarizes just two of the articles we read. Not only did these articles inform me about interesting conclusions in the field of educational psychology, but it also got me a lot more comfortable with reading research articles. These specific articles talked about testing anxiety, and how writing about anxieties before taking a test can lower anxious feelings, thereby improving test performance. This is just one of the many practices I took away from this class to help me study for all of my classes.
This was the final research paper I wrote about the effects of mindset (growth vs. fixed) on various educational outcomes, as well as outside the context of school/testing and in the workplace. Unsurprising, having a growth mindset where you believe that you can be good at anything with enough practice results in the most benefits in all areas of life. Whenever I feel down when I'm taking a really hard class or trying something new, I remember writing this research and try to focus on improvement instead of comparison to my peers.