Changing Mindsets of Eighth and Ninth Graders Towards Growth: A study on the effectiveness of classroom interventions on mindsets

Abstract

Classroom interventions on the growth mindset are proven to be not always as effective as expected. Therefore, this study examines the actual mindset change classroom interventions achieve with eighth- and ninth-grade students. In the mentor class, a mindset intervention of two lessons presented students how mindsets work, what mindsets are and teaches them how to adapt their self-perception; e.g., share gained knowledge and analyse feedback. According to pre- and post-test questionnaires in the physics and mentor class (N=32) and focus group interviews after the intervention (N=6), mindset change did not occur directly after the intervention. Therefore, the mindset intervention was not effective in both direct and transfer situations. The pre- and post-tests indicate a slightly changed perception in class A and an unchanged students’ perception in class B. The interviews provide two insights into the cause. Firstly, after the intervention the students did not use mindset as a concept correctly, therefore the teaching goals remain unachieved. Secondly, according to eighth and ninth graders, an effective classroom intervention has four crucial elements: (1) a clear purpose, (2) clear teaching method, (3) relevant content, and (4) high variation in lesson activities. These elements result in guidelines for designing an effective intervention in future research.