Teacher Growth Mindsets: Framing the underlying problem of fixed teacher mindsets and teacher effectiveness

• In Event: Teacher Growth Mindsets

Proposal

This paper presents a review of the evidence on teacher training interventions designed to cultivate a growth mindset and their subsequent impact on teacher practices and student learning outcomes. The review addresses a critical gap in the literature by moving beyond the well-established focus on student mindsets to explore the pivotal role of the teacher’s mindset. A growth mindset is defined as the belief that intellectual abilities can be developed through dedication and effort, a concept that has been widely adopted in educational circles. This review establishes a theoretical model wherein a teacher's mindset influences their pedagogical decisions, which in turn shape a supportive classroom environment that fosters a growth mindset in students, ultimately affecting their academic and socio-emotional development. The analysis synthesizes findings from both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The evidence base reveals that teacher training interventions can successfully shift teacher mindsets and their reported intentions to change classroom practices.7 Key pedagogical strategies include process-oriented praise, normalizing mistakes, and employing differentiated instruction. The review finds particularly promising results from interventions in LMICs, such as a randomized controlled trial in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which demonstrated a significant positive effect on student test scores (Presented in this panel by Tassia Cruz). The research suggests a particularly powerful role for these interventions in vulnerable populations, acting as a buffer against the detrimental effects of poverty and stereotyping.

However, the review also identifies significant methodological and implementation challenges. A critical discrepancy exists between self-reported teacher beliefs and actual, observed classroom practices, which may be influenced by systemic and institutional pressures. Additionally, recent meta-analyses have found that the overall effect of growth mindset interventions on student achievement is small or non-significant when correcting for methodological flaws such as researcher bias and publication bias. Success of these interventions appears to be highly dependent on their design, implementation fidelity, and the presence of a supportive school culture.
The implications for policy and practice are multifaceted. The findings support the "mindset-plus-supportive-context" hypothesis, which posits that the most effective approach combines student-targeted interventions with teacher training that creates a conducive classroom environment. Future research may utilize more rigorous, long-term randomized controlled trials that include direct classroom observations to bridge the gap between reported beliefs and actual behavior. This will provide a clearer understanding of how teacher mindset interventions can be effectively scaled and sustained to promote educational equity and improve student outcomes worldwide.

Author

• Mary E Breeding, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation