How can I develop an ‘Expandable Intelligence’ using Lucas and Claxton’s ‘Expansive Talking Framework’ in maths?

Abstract

This paper is a personal reflection of a student teacher’s decisions and actions towards trying to support pupils in developing the belief that their intelligence is expandable through effort and strategy. Using action research in their last year of teacher training I researched my influence over 30, aged 7-8, pupils’ attitudes towards maths learning over 8 weeks. Using Lucas and Claxton’s (2010) Talking Toolkit framework, which claims to support the development of ‘Expandable Intelligence’, to promote a growth mindset. This was done over a period of 8 weeks. In a reflexive turn it was identified that the Talking toolkit framework tool could not be used in isolation, other strategies and approaches were adopted. This research illustrates a reflection on pupils’ responses and my analysis against four habits of mind, chosen from Claxton (2002) Building Learning Power that supports the belief that intelligence is expandable. This research provides an example of a constant reflective log of my findings. The key finding from this research was that attitudes have the potential to be developed in the short term and expandable intelligence is a state of mind that transcends experiences and cannot be seen in just mathematics. This paper concludes with implications for future practice.