English
Measuring the long-term effects of growth mindsets
Project funding
Supported by the Yidan Prize project funds
Education theme
Equity, access, and diversity
Learning/teaching methods and environments
Contents
Overview
Background
About the idea
Impact and results
Related projects
More to explore
Exploring the long-term impact of a one-time growth mindset intervention in 9th grade
How long can the effects of a one-time growth mindset intervention last? What are the effects on educational opportunities? This long-term study of 9th grade students aims to answer those questions.
Laureate(s)
Background
Exploring the long-term benefits of a growth mindset intervention
When students hold a growth mindset — which is the belief that ability can be developed — they’re more motivated and persistent in the face of difficulty. Students can be taught this growth mindset with online, low-cost interventions.
In 2019, Nature published a paper showing the results of the National Study of Learning Mindset (NSLM), led by Professor David Yeager from the University of Texas, Austin. This was the first study of growth mindset interventions at this scale — including 65 schools and over 12,000 9th-grade students across the US.
The results showed that the growth mindset intervention which lasted less than an hour and cost less than US$1 per student had a positive effect on students’ grades and rates of passing their core courses at the end of the year.
In this follow-up study, David and his colleagues asked: could the benefits of a one-time growth mindset intervention in 9th grade extend until the end of high school?
About the idea
Understanding impact by measuring readiness for further education
The research team went back to the 65 schools and 12,000 students from the first study — after three years — to find out their graduation status, academic performance, and whether they have a course portfolio of at least one college-prep course to prepare them for their next steps in 12th grade.
This project is one of the first attempts to carry out a long-term study on mindsets, making an essential information bank for the wider research community.
The study aims to:
- Understand the long-term impact of mindsets on students’ educational futures
- Create a dataset of nationally representative sample of schools in the US for mindset intervention research
- Guide the development of a stronger theory about mindsets while focusing on the important role of classroom contexts in supporting students’ mindsets and enhancing their effects on learning
Our 2017 laureate Professor Carol Dweck used part of her project funds to support this project from January 2018 to December 2022 (extended due to disruptions caused by Covid-19). This project was led by principal investigator Professor David Yeager at University of Texas, Austin.
Impact and results
The team is building a growth mindset research bank
The initial study published in Nature is already used widely by researchers around the world. They’re keen to include findings from this follow-up study, which uses a nationally representative data sample for the US, in a database for the global research community.
The idea is to offer evidence that can underpin more robust interventions which, in turn, improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.
They’re also looking at ways to develop advocacy for growth mindsets in schools
David and his team work with schools who’ve participated in this research, offering free professional development workshops and tailored annual reports on how students mindsets are related to their outcomes. They also send them bi-monthly newsletters featuring the latest scientific research on mindsets and student learning.