Pupils do not benefit from so-called growth mindset, study shows

The growth mindset theory assumes intellectual ability is not fixed, but can be greatly changed. Dr Timothy Bates (School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences) and his research team have shown that this approach to learning has little, or even a negative, effect on attainment. Instead, psychologists concluded that improved textbooks and systematic study practices are more effective ways of boosting learning. 

The researchers tested more than 600 children and found that whether or not children believed basic intellectual ability can be changed had no effect on overcoming difficult challenges. Instead, perseverence and hard work were vital if pupils were to make headway. Moreover, progress would be made faster if growth mindset interventions were discarded. 

The study replicate two of the most influential papers on the topic and revisited the methodology used. Psychologists tested the growth mindset theory in three studies involving pupils in China and, now, in the UK, all aged nine to 13. They found that growth mindset manipulation had no effect on pupils' resilience and no relationship to motivation. The sole exception in the controlled studies was one significant effect but in the reverse direction. Children with a growth mindset show worse, not better performance on more difficult material.

Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates said, "Adopting a growth mindset is widely believed to greatly improve educational outcomes, but our findings suggest otherwise. We didn't see the remarkable results promised in earlier studies and would caution against using this approach in class. Beliefs about basic ability appear unrelated to resilience or progress in school."