Growth Mind-Set and Gender-Fair Belief: Two Wheels That Turn Students' Math Competence Beliefs and Achievement

• In Event: 67.047 - Motivation Interventions Proven to Work in K–12 Classrooms: Improving Students' Value, Confidence, Self-Regulation, and Satisfaction

Abstract

Objectives
The purpose of the current study was three-fold. First, we aimed to test the overall effect of the math competence intervention (MCI) on students’ test anxiety, competence, persistence, and achievement in math. Second, gender differences in the effectiveness of MCI were examined. Third, we investigated whether changes in growth mindsets and gender-stereotypic beliefs mediated the intervention effect on math competence and test anxiety, and eventually that on persistence and achievement.

Theoretical Framework
“Is there such a thing as ‘a math person’?” and “Is math a subject for boys?” These were the two questions, answers to which we strived to steer in the present investigation. A fixed mindset (i.e., “abilities are fixed and cannot be enhanced with efforts”) and gender-stereotypic beliefs are major risk factors for competence beliefs and achievement in mathematics (Fogliati & Bussey, 2013; McCutchen, Jones, Carbonneau, & Mueller, 2016). While there have been successful attempts to enhance students’ achievement-related outcomes through growth mindset (e.g., Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007) or anti-stereotyping interventions (e.g., Johns, Schmader, & Martens, 2005), few have tapped both factors simultaneously. Considering that a mindset and its influence on outcomes may differ by gender in a male gender-typed domain such as mathematics (Diseth, Meland, & Breidablik, 2014; Good, Rattan, & Dweck, 2012), emphasizing both factors in the math competence intervention was deemed necessary.

Method
Participants were 243 fourth graders attending a local elementary school in Seoul, Korea. Students were randomly assigned to either the experimental (5 classes) or the control group (4 classes). The intervention program consisted of six 40-min lessons that took place once in every 1~2 weeks during the semester in regular classroom hours. Students in both groups participated in similar math-related activities that involved soma cubes, 3D mazes, and tangrams. Students in the experimental group received additional messages that emphasized the developing nature of math capability and gender-fair beliefs in math (see Table 1). Survey was conducted before and after the intervention (see Table 2). The final number of students used for analysis was 203 (113 in the intervention group; 90 in the control group).

Results
T-tests revealed that students in the experimental group reported significantly stronger growth mindsets and weaker gender stereotypic beliefs in math compared to those in the control group (see Table 3). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses yielded that MCI, after controlling for pretest scores, significantly increased students’ perceived competence, persistence, and achievement in math. No significant gender  intervention effect was obtained. As shown in Figure 1, path analysis (χ2/df = 1.923, CFI = .969, TLI = .925, RMSEA = .068) illustrated that students’ growth mindsets and perceived competence significantly mediated the paths from intervention to persistence and achievement. Also, as gender-stereotypic beliefs of students decreased, they reported significantly greater persistence in math.

Significance
The results demonstrated the positive effect of MCI on students’ perceived competence, persistence, and achievement in math. Our findings highlight the importance of simultaneously promoting growth mindsets and gender-fair beliefs associated with math ability to help improve early adolescents’ math competence and achievement.

Authors

• Jeesoo Lee, bMRI/Korea University

• Hyun Ji Lee, The Ohio State University

• Juyeon Song, Korea National University of Education

• Sun Kyung Lee, Korea University

• Sung-il Kim, Korea University

• Mimi Bong, Korea University