Identifying and shifting educators' failure pedagogical mindsets through reflective practices

Background: In this paper, we add to the scant literature base on learning from failures with a particular focus on understanding educators' shifting mindset in making-centred learning environments. Aims: The aim of Study 1 was to explore educators' beliefs about failure for learning and instructional practices within their local making-centred learning environments. The aim of Study 2 was to examine how participation in a video-based professional development cycle regarding failure moments in making-centred learning environments might have shifted museum educators' failure pedagogical mindsets. Sample: In Study 1, the sample included 15 educators at either a middle school or museum. In Study 2, the sample included 39 educators across six museums. Methods: In Study 1, educators engaged in a semi-structured interview that lasted between 45 and 75 min. In Study 2, the six museums video recorded professional development sessions. Results: Results from Study 1 highlighted educators' failure pedagogical mindsets as either underdeveloped or rigid and absent of relational thinking between self- and youth-failures. One key result from Study 2 was a shift from an abstract sense of failure as youth-focused to a practical sense of failure as educator-focused and/or relational (i.e., youth educator-focused failure moments). Conclusions: Based on the results from Study 1 and Study 2, our research suggests that exploring an educator's relationship with failure is important and witnessing and reflecting upon their own failure pedagogical mindset in action may facilitate a shift towards a more complex and interconnected space for growth and development of both educators and youth.