TY - JOUR
T1 - Changing Learner Beliefs in South African Townships
T2 - An Evaluation of a Growth Mindset Intervention
AU - Porter, Tenelle
AU - Martinus, Ammaarah
AU - Ross, Rebecca
AU - Cyster, Cameron F.
AU - Trzesniewski, Kali
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.
PY - 2020/9/1
Y1 - 2020/9/1
N2 - We tested the effectiveness of a growth mindset intervention for N = 354 adolescents from low resource schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Growth mindset measures demonstrated good psychometric properties in our sample. We found mixed evidence of an intervention effect: We did not find evidence that the intervention improved mastery behavior or math achievement test scores, but treatment-on-the-treated (TOT) analyses showed positive effects on growth mindset for those who received the intervention (0.32 SDs). TOT analyses provided some evidence for effects on math grades, comparable in magnitude with previous research (0.24–0.34 SDs), although tests were underpowered and not all reached significance. The intervention cost approximately R4.4 (31 U.S. cents) per student. A growth mindset intervention may be a low-cost way to shape motivation and grades for those attending low resource schools, but more research is needed to address the mixed results obtained in the current study.
AB - We tested the effectiveness of a growth mindset intervention for N = 354 adolescents from low resource schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Growth mindset measures demonstrated good psychometric properties in our sample. We found mixed evidence of an intervention effect: We did not find evidence that the intervention improved mastery behavior or math achievement test scores, but treatment-on-the-treated (TOT) analyses showed positive effects on growth mindset for those who received the intervention (0.32 SDs). TOT analyses provided some evidence for effects on math grades, comparable in magnitude with previous research (0.24–0.34 SDs), although tests were underpowered and not all reached significance. The intervention cost approximately R4.4 (31 U.S. cents) per student. A growth mindset intervention may be a low-cost way to shape motivation and grades for those attending low resource schools, but more research is needed to address the mixed results obtained in the current study.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083045902&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85083045902&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1948550620909738
DO - 10.1177/1948550620909738
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85083045902
SN - 1948-5506
VL - 11
SP - 991
EP - 998
JO - Social Psychological and Personality Science
JF - Social Psychological and Personality Science
IS - 7
ER -