As Japan’s population declines, and universities compete for students, the bar has risen for teachers who are now competing for positions at a decreasing number of universities. When I arrived in 1993, a master’s degree was enough to guarantee a contract position. Now a PhD in linguistics or applied linguistics is fast becoming a necessity. One generally non-negotiable item in the present day is a record of publications. In the distant past, gaikokujin kyoshi may have been exempt from the publish-or-perish mindset, but this is no longer true.
In this presentation, I will discuss my experiences of how my early research papers led to my current tenured position. The first “research” paper I ever wrote, though far from my best work, was the one referred to in the interview for the tenured position I now hold. Another paper, required for one PhD course, led to more involvement in gender-related projects. After completing my PhD, I began researching and writing about high-stakes entrance examinations in Japan; those papers are among my most-cited works and helped me move from lecturer to professor.
Once my career became established, I was able to bring my personal interests into the academic world by researching issues that were near and dear to me, such as projects about cram schools and education for multicultural families. My latest work is on barrier-free education in Japan. Thus, while I began my career writing to survive, I am now working on projects that help not only me, but others, thrive.
What does having a growth mindset mean? According to Boise University President Marlene Tromp (2021), it means five and a half things: that intelligence can be developed, that challenges should be embraced, that setbacks should be persisted against, that mastery is the result of effort, that criticism provides opportunities to learn, and that inspiration can be found in the success of others. Using these five and a half points, I would like to share how we can encourage a growth mindset in not only our students, but also ourselves.
Intelligence Can Be Developed
According to Dr. Tromp:
A fixed mindset might say intelligence is static. A growth mindset knows it is not; rather you can grow your brain’s capacity to respond to complex problems. If at first you don’t succeed, it doesn’t mean that you don’t belong, or you can’t learn. You’re strengthening your ability to do the work every time you face a challenge.
We have probably all heard a student say, “I’m not good at English.” Perhaps this is because the way English is traditionally taught in secondary schools is possibly not the best way for that student to have studied it. We can encourage our students to have a growth mindset about English by giving them opportunities to learn through multiple methods, and by praising them for their efforts instead of discouraging them when they err.
Challenges Should Be Embraced
Regarding challenges, Dr. Tromp says, “The only way to have the experiences that help you truly grow is to embrace challenges. Don’t take the easiest path. Take the one that will make you stronger and more prepared for the future.” To me, this means that we should not underestimate what our students can do. We should challenge them to reach beyond their current levels and strive to make increments in their learning. We should encourage them and have high expectations; we should praise them when they take risks and accept different ways to express themselves. This can’t help but give them confidence.
Setbacks Should Be Persisted Against
Experiencing setbacks is like building a muscle. To physically grow a muscle, it must sustain micro-tears—essentially, damage—then it grows back stronger. You develop your muscles intellectually and emotionally, just as you do physically. Failures may be the experiences you learn from the most (Tromp, 2021).
Like everyone else, students have experienced and overcome a number of setbacks. Over the years, I have read paragraphs where students have described how their failing sports team or musical club overcame persistent failure, didn’t give up, and finally won that sought-after trophy. Language learning is not that different. As teachers, we should encourage our students when they fail and praise them when they succeed. We should point out that we realize the road to learning language is hard and share our own experiences learning another language.
Mastery is the Result of Effort
Many people believe that if they have to work too hard, it’s a sign that they don’t belong. Those with a growth mindset recognize that working hard is how you get to success: hard work is the pathway, not a sign of a problem (Tromp, 2021).
When I first undertook a master’s program in Canada, in 1990, I truly felt like I was in over my head and even went to visit several of my professors to ask them if they thought I could succeed. Thankfully Dr. Alister Cumming, who was my pro tem supervisor at the time, said to me, “You don’t have to be a genius. You just have to do the work.” For our students, we must be their Alister (but maybe phrase it differently). Help them understand that by doing the work they can become good at English, and that anybody can. If possible, invite near peer role models to class to talk to them.
Criticism Provides Opportunities to Learn
While most people can’t bear criticism, as “[it] feels like a failure,” Dr. Tromp insists that “People with a growth mindset are exhilarated by criticism: it’s a chance to learn, grow and get better” (2021).
I would like to remind researchers to have a growth mindset here; if I broke down sobbing every time a paper was rejected by a journal, my tears would have dried up long ago. As academics, we need to keep in mind that editors and reviewers are not trying to crush us but are trying to help us be better. Take those reviewer comments, fix up your paper, and send it to another journal. Take that book proposal that has been going hither and yon for five years (I speak from experience) and find the right publisher who gets what you are trying to do. Remember to be grateful to those who took the time to help you put your best work out in the world.
Inspiration Can Be Found in the Success of Others
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, “When you see someone else succeed, instead of comparing yourself negatively (‘I’m not good enough’), use those who succeed as role models. Learn from their model to reach even higher levels of achievement” (Tromp, 2021). As a woman, I have found that role models are few and far between, but they are there. From them, I have learned to be unafraid to travel and present, to write, to make things happen, and to not undervalue myself in a male-dominated environment. They have also shown me that it’s okay to skip a conference presentation and have a therapeutic glass of red wine instead.
Reference
Tromp, M. (2021, September 13). 5 1/2 Things About Growth Mindset from Dr. Tromp. Boise State University. https://www.boisestate.edu/student-life/5-1-2-things-about-growth-mindse...
Melodie Cook hails from Canada’s capital and has been working in Japan since 1993. She is a Professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture, and her research interests include teacher education, high-stakes testing, gender representation in educational materials, multicultural family education, fostering and adoption, and special needs education in Japan. She has been an active member of JALT in various capacities since 2003.
Workshop
From Publish or Perish to Publish your Passion
As Japan’s population declines, and universities compete for students, the bar has risen for teachers who are now competing for positions at a decreasing number of universities. When I arrived in 1993, a master’s degree was enough to guarantee a contract position. Now a PhD in Linguistics, or Applied Linguistics is fast becoming a necessity. One generally non-negotiable item in the present day is a record of publications. In the distant past, gaikokujin kyoshi may have been exempt from the publish-or-perish mindset, but this is no longer true.
In this presentation, I will discuss my experiences of how my early research papers led to my current tenured position. The first “research” paper I ever wrote, though far from my best work, was the one referred to in the interview for the tenured position I now hold. Another paper, required for one PhD course, led to more involvement in gender-related projects. After completing my PhD, I began researching and writing about high-stakes entrance examinations in Japan; those papers are among my most-cited works and helped me move from lecturer to professor.
Once my career became established, I was able to bring my personal interests into the academic world by researching issues that were near and dear to me such as projects about cram schools and education for multicultural families. My latest work is on barrier-free education in Japan. Thus, while I began my career writing to survive, I am now working on projects that help not only me, but others, thrive.
