To What Extent and Under Which Circumstances Are Growth Mind-Sets Important to Academic Achievement? Two Meta-Analyses

Abstract

Mind-sets (aka implicit theories) are beliefs about the nature of human attributes (e.g., intelligence). The theory holds that individuals with growth mind-sets (beliefs that attributes are malleable with effort) enjoy many positive outcomes-including higher academic achievement-while their peers who have fixed mind-sets experience negative outcomes. Given this relationship, interventions designed to increase students' growth mind-sets-thereby increasing their academic achievement-have been implemented in schools around the world. In our first meta-analysis ( k = 273, N = 365,915), we examined the strength of the relationship between mind-set and academic achievement and potential moderating factors. In our second meta-analysis ( k = 43, N = 57,155), we examined the effectiveness of mind-set interventions on academic achievement and potential moderating factors. Overall effects were weak for both meta-analyses. However, some results supported specific tenets of the theory, namely, that students with low socioeconomic status or who are academically at risk might benefit from mind-set interventions.

Greater Mindfulness is Associated With Better Academic Achievement in Middle School

“…Thus, mindfulness is not a fixed trait, but rather a malleable characteristic that can be fostered by education. The evidence is less clear that other social–emotional characteristics (e.g., grit and growth mindset) can be altered in such a direct and actionable manner, especially for adolescents (e.g., (Orosz, Peter‐Szarka, Bothe, Toth‐Kiraly, & Berger, ; Sisk, Burgoyne, Sun, Butler, & Macnamara, ). Our findings encourage further development of school‐based MBIs that foster mindfulness because greater mindfulness relates to better academic outcomes for diverse middle school students.…”

Grit, Mindset, and Academic Performance: A Study of Pre-University Science Students

“…However, recent meta-analytic work suggests the relationship is more complicated. A recent meta-analysis (Sisk, Burgoyne, Sun, Butler, & Macnamara, 2018) of the relationship between mindset and achievement found only a small correlation between the two (r = .1) and a small effect (d = .08) of growth mindset interventions, and only for at-risk and lower SES students. Mindset interventions were non-significant for adolescents and regular students.…”

Responsible Research and Innovation as a Novel Approach to Guide Educational Impact of Mind, Brain, and Education Research

“…Research has shown that TOI influences self-regulatory behavior, such as goal-orientation and helpless versus mastery-oriented strategies, and academic achievement (Burnette et al, 2013). In parallel, mindset interventions have been developed to stimulate a growth mindset in high school students and thereby increase motivation for learning, resilience to setbacks, and educational achievement, with varying success (Sisk, Burgoyne, Sun, Butler, & Macnamara, 2018). Experience-dependent plasticity can be seen as a neurobiological basis for the growth mindset.…”