Changing Learner Beliefs in South African Townships: An Evaluation of a Growth Mindset Intervention

Tenelle Porter, Ammaarah Martinus, Rebecca Ross, Cameron F. Cyster, Kali Trzesniewski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)991-998
Number of pages8
JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science
Volume11
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2020
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Social Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

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