The Impact of Mindset and Grit on Academic Success:
Understanding the power of mindset and grit
Grit is the ability to persevere and work hard even in the face of challenges and failure. Although not explicitly addressed in the article linked below, it becomes evident through the distinction between a student adopting an incremental theory and an entity theory of intelligence. The mindset one holds regarding intelligence, whether it is seen as fixed or malleable, influences their response to academic difficulties. Students with a growth mindset, or an incremental theory, believe that intelligence can be developed through effort and skill acquisition, empowering them to overcome challenges.
Despite equal intellectual ability, a student’s theory of intelligence determines their response to academic challenges.
Students with an entity theory, the belief in a fixed, uncontrollable intelligence – a ‘thing’ they have a lot or a little of – orients them toward measuring that ability and giving up or withdrawing effort if the verdict seems negative.
– Implicit Theories of Intelligence, Page 247
Academic Achievements and the Role of Mindset and Grit
The researchers conducted two studies focusing on the beliefs of intelligence (mindset) among junior high school students (7th and 8th grade) and how it impacted their level of effort and persistence (grit) in mathematical assignments, as measured by academic gains.
Study 1
In this study, students completed a series of “motivational questionnaires assessing theory of intelligence, goals, beliefs about effort, and helpless versus mastery-oriented responses to failure” (Implicit Theories of Intelligence, p. 249).
The researchers proposed that intelligence is not fixed (entity theory) but rather malleable (incremental theory), developing over time. Students who embraced the belief that intelligence is malleable demonstrated a strong belief in the importance and effectiveness of hard work for achievement. They also exhibited fewer helpless attributions based on their abilities. Instead of seeing failure as a reflection of their lack of ability, they viewed it as an opportunity to invest more effort or adopt different strategies.
Study 2
This study aimed to determine whether an 8-week intervention focusing on teaching an incremental theory of intelligence could impact student achievement. The intervention provided a group of lower-achieving students with supportive academic training on the incremental theory, while a control group received a lesson on memory.
The results revealed that students who initially held more of an entity theory at the beginning of seventh grade benefited the most from the intervention on incremental theory.
Implicit Theories of Intelligence, Page 258
Students with an entity theory who received the intervention experienced a reversal in their declining grades compared to those who did not receive the intervention. This finding supports the hypothesis that shifting to an incremental theory of intelligence and believing that effort leads to achievement can influence academic outcomes positively. The long-term payoff of exerting effective effort towards goals, even in the face of difficulty or failure, becomes evident.