Growth Mindset, Social Emotional Competence, and Early Teaching Experiences: A Longitudinal Experimental Study Using Situational Judgment Tests

• In Event: Teaching with Heart and Skill: Exploring Social-Emotional Learning in Teacher Preparation and Practice

Abstract

Objectives
Teachers need to have many different skills to be successful in their profession. In addition to traditional aspects such as subject knowledge, social-emotional competencies (SEC) are particularly important for fostering positive teacher-student relationships, and positively associated with outcomes like teacher motivation, well-being, and student development (Collie et al., 2019; Jennings et al., 2009; Kunter et al., 2013). Additionally, teachers’ beliefs also play an important role for students’ academic outcomes, as recent empirical findings on growth mindset (the belief, that abilities can change through effort) show (Burnette et al., 2023; Dweck, 2006). However, the extent to which these two aspects of professional competence are interrelated and how they evolve, especially under different early teaching experiences (Collie et al. 2019), has not yet been sufficiently researched, partly due to challenges in assessment.
Method
We experimentally investigated (1) the associations between growth mindset (GM) and SEC, and (2) how their relationship unfolds under different intervention conditions across three measurement time points. Participants were 76 pre-service teachers in Germany, randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) a control group (CG, n = 41) with no intervention and no student contact; (b) a group engaging in intensive tutoring of low-achieving students without prior mindset training (EG1, n = 20); and (c) a group receiving mindset training prior to tutoring (EG2, n = 15). SEC was assessed at three time points using a validated situational judgment test (TRUST; Aldrup et al., 2020) that captures social-emotional problem-solving and relational sensitivity in school contexts. GM was measured at the same intervals via an established scale (Dweck et al., 2006).
Results
Regression analyses revealed several important findings. First, within the control group, lower fixed mindset scores (reflecting a more growth-oriented perspective) were significantly predicting higher SEC at baseline (β = –.42, p = .003) and midline (β = –.37, p = .024), supporting theoretical assumptions about the alignment of these teacher attributes, which have been previously assumed (Rimm-Kaufmann et al., 2024). Second, SEC trajectories differed across groups (Figure 1). These findings suggest that supporting growth-oriented beliefs via the mindset training may have helped buffer pre-service teachers against the potential emotional demands of working intensively with struggling students, preventing the drop observable in EG1. In summary, the longitudinal multi-group data underscores the value of integrating beliefs and competencies within the same analytic framework to better inform teacher education practice. Beyond substantive insights, this study contributes methodologically by demonstrating the utility of repeated situational judgment testing to capture nuanced developmental trajectories in teacher SEC. Given that SEC is deeply embedded in relational contexts, such objective tools may offer valuable complementary insights to traditional self-report measures, as they are less influenced by self-perception biases and social desirability.
Scientific Significance
In conclusion, this study highlights both the natural links between SEC and GM, and the potential protective role of explicitly fostering growth-oriented beliefs when pre-service teachers face the reality of teaching for the first time and engage in emotionally demanding instructional roles.

Authors

• Katharina Asbury, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Bastian Carstensen, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Josina Schriek, Humboldt University - Berlin

• Uta Klusmann, IPN · Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education