Understanding growth mindset and chemistry mindsets of high-achieving students and the impact of influential language on learning motivation

Abstract

Students' mindsets about their intelligence can be fixed or malleable, but a general growth mindset does not ensure the same mindset in chemistry. Many factors influence success and perseverance in chemistry, leading to inconsistent experiences even among high-achieving students in specialized programs. This research examines the correlations between general growth mindset, students' perspective on their chemistry intelligence, gender, academic achievement, and family economic status, while identifying factors influencing motivation in learning chemistry and analyzing students' responses to challenging chemistry situations based on their general growth mindset. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 338 high-achieving tenth graders nationwide using an 8-item growth mindset scale (Dweck, 1999, Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development) and the individual items from a modified chemistry mindset questionnaire (Santos et al., 2022, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 23(3), 742–757). Findings revealed that 232 students (68.64%) were categorized as having a growth mindset, 9 students (2.66%) were classified as having a fixed mindset, and 95 students (28.11%) were identified as having a mixed mindset. Students rated their chemistry mindset highest in applying chemical knowledge and learning new chemistry concepts. Most female students associated self-chemistry intelligence with applying chemistry knowledge, while male students associated it with learning new concepts. No correlations were found between general growth mindset, gender, GPA, and family socioeconomic status among high-achieving students. However, a moderate significant correlation was found between general growth mindset and all sub-aspects of chemistry intelligence. The study revealed that students themselves were the most influential factor in motivating their learning of chemistry, followed by chemistry teachers, parents, and close friends. Conversely, demotivation was primarily influenced by the students themselves, followed by other individuals, chemistry teachers, and classmates. Moreover, most students with a general growth mindset (82%) persisted and sought solutions when faced with challenging chemistry problems, but some students of this group felt hopeless (6%) or found the subject too difficult (9%). The study discusses implication for chemistry instruction to keep high-achieving students in chemistry tracks engaged.