The Relationships Between Grit, Mindset, and the Academic Success of Adult Students at Online Colleges

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eighteen
  In Roundtable Session: Assessing Sociopsychological Student Experiences in Higher Education (Table 5)

Abstract

Grit and mindset are two of the hottest topics in education today, but research on their predictive power for academic success is inconclusive and rife with gaps and limitations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between grit, mindset, and academic outcomes for adult students attending online colleges. This was investigated using data from the Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS) project, and includes 9,276 undergraduate, mostly adult students from two online institutions in the United States. The results indicate that neither grit, its two components, nor mindset were significantly, positively predictive of any academic outcomes, including success rate, on-time progress, and retention. Explanations, limitations, and the scholarly significance of the study are explored.

Authors

• David W. Franklin, Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS)
  Presenting Author

• Heidi L. Andrade, University at Albany - SUNY
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jason Bryer, City University of New York
  Non-Presenting Author

• Angela M. Lui, CUNY - School of Professional Studies
  Non-Presenting Author