-
Title
-
The Impact of Growth Mindset Perceptions in a 9th-Grade Science Class
-
Creator
-
Jon Edwards
-
Degree Name
-
Master of Arts in Teaching (initial licensure)
-
Project Type
-
action_research_project
-
Date
-
6/19/2026
-
Abstract
-
This action research is informed by growth mindset theory, which posits that a student’s intrinsic belief in their ability to develop their intelligence profoundly affects their success in learning at school. In a growth mindset, intelligence is not seen as “fixed” and immutable but as something that can grow. Dweck and Leggett (1988) considered students who avoid challenging tasks to exhibit a “helpless pattern,” while those who seek out challenging tasks exhibit a “mastery-oriented pattern.” In other words, students with a “fixed mindset” about intelligence tend to blame themselves for not being able to do something. In contrast, those with a growth mindset see setbacks as temporary challenges and part of the learning process. Consequently, students with a growth mindset often perform better on difficult tasks than those with a fixed mindset, even when their initial abilities are equal. From this action research, three themes around the tenets of Growth mindset theory. They are: shaping students’ beliefs about intelligence, reframing failure as a learning opportunity, and emphasizing the learning process rather than the end goal.
-
Keywords
-
Learning Interventions
-
Equitable pedagogy
-
processing failure
-
Committee Member
-
Lin Wu
-
Amy Bowden
-
Rights
-
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 07/27/2026, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
-
https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
-
Language
-
eng
-
Type
-
text
-
data
