A bibliometric review on latent topics and research trends in the growth mindset literature for mathematics education

Abstract

Embracing a growth mindset is essential to students’ academic improvement. This manuscript aims to better understand the existing literature on the role and effects of the growth mindset in mathematics teaching and learning. It provides an updated perspective on the research regarding the growth mindset in mathematics education. The dataset comprises 85 journal articles published from 2012 to 2022 retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases. The current study applies a methodology based on bibliometric analysis techniques. The analysis reveals and corroborates several patterns from the research trends, journals, countries, and authors that have significant impacts on the research field. The findings show that USA, UK, and Norway are the most productive countries in publishing research on the topic. Moreover, the results of the thematic analysis indicate that the topics discussed among most of the articles in the dataset include engagement, implementation, persistence, children, fluid intelligence, and skills. The longitudinal trends in research themes based on study keywords illustrate an evolution in the research from the concept of mindsets to implicit theories on the growth mindset alongside academic achievement. Lastly, this study also provides an overview of the conceptual structure underlying studies on the growth mindset, which offers valuable insights into potential research topics for academics and practitioners seeking to explore the growth mindset in the future.

Developing a growth mindset in education: a bibliometric analysis and its challenge during pandemic

“…In addition to academic achievement, the longitudinal trend reveals a movement in research from a mindset to an implicit notion of a growth mindset. Finally, this study gives an overview of the conceptual framework that can assist scholars and practitioners in studying the growth mindset in future research [20].…”

“…The previous study was applied to the elementary school level [11], [17]. The study results show that the growth mindset can increase student achievement and involvement in learning [11], [20] and enhance mental health [19]. Thus, growth mindset pedagogy improves academic performance and mental stability.…”

“…Therefore, research trend mapping is carried out to determine the research dynamics on this topic. In general, researchers use various methods: a systematic literature review [11], [17], scoping literature review [18], a meta-analysis [19], and bibliometrics [20]. These studies examine the growth mindset based on its relationship with mathematics education [20], psychological distress [19], and human resource development [18].…”

Differences in Self-Concept and Its Dimensions in Students of the Third Cycle of Primary School, Obligatory Secondary Education, and Baccalaureate

“…Self-concept is a term that has been gaining importance in recent years in the field of psychological research (multidisciplinary, experimental, developmental, educational, or social), together with education educational research, family studies, among other areas, being separately studied or in relation to multiple variables and themes [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. It can be defined as the set of beliefs that an individual has about him/herself at a given moment, conditioned by the positive or negative feelings he/she has about him/herself, which also builds the personality and conditions the social and emotional development of the subject [ 6 , 7 ].…”

How growth mindset influences mathematics achievements: A study of Chinese middle school students

“…The theory of growth mindset has attracted researcher's interest in the past decade. A growth mindset refers to the belief that one person's ability can be developed through efforts, whereas a fixed mindset means viewing ability as fixed and unchangeable (Yeager and Dweck, 2012 ; Xu et al, 2022 ). During the last decades, there has been a controversy regarding whether a growth mindset could predict mathematics learning outcomes (Burnette et al, 2013 ; Yeager and Dweck, 2020 ).…”