Chapter 1 - Introduction

Summary

Grit, growth mindset, creativity, emotion regulation, lifelong learning, and the whole child, which can be grouped under the label noncognitive skills, are increasingly present in education policy and research discussions. There is broad support to formalize instruction to support the development of these so-called skills, which are associated with humanistic, democratic, and economic visions of persons and purposes of schooling. Notwithstanding this appeal, noncognitive skills are entangled in neoliberally ideology and endorse a specific vision for personhood. The danger is that through these skills, eolibleral ideology can operate with unchecked influence.