Growth mindset is the idea that our abilities are not fixed but can be developed through effort, strategies, and support from others. The concept was introduced by Professor Carol Dweck and has gained wide influence in education.
Research shows that students who are encouraged to view learning as a process of growth become more resilient, more willing to take on challenging tasks, and quicker to recover from setbacks. Studies indicate that a growth mindset culture can contribute to better performance, especially for students who might otherwise give up early.
Carol Dweck’s research is based on experiments and long-term studies where students of different ages were given challenging tasks and then received different types of feedback. In one well-known study, some students were praised for their intelligence (“you are smart”) while others were praised for their effort and strategies (“you worked hard on this”). Students who received process-oriented feedback showed greater persistence, stronger motivation, and better results on new tasks. In contrast, those praised for ability more often chose easier tasks and gave up more quickly when faced with difficulties.
Large-scale studies have also demonstrated links between students’ beliefs about intelligence and their academic achievement, with a growth mindset being associated with higher performance, especially in challenging situations. At the same time, research emphasizes that the effect is strongest when mindset work is integrated into the content of teaching and embedded in school culture.
Limitations of the research should also be noted. Meta-analyses have shown that the effects of direct mindset interventions can be small or vary between student groups. This does not mean the idea is wrong; rather, growth mindset works best as part of a broader pedagogical approach – where explicit teaching, high expectations, and constructive feedback interact.
Other research supports the idea that students’ beliefs about intelligence strongly influence their motivation and learning. While the effect is not always powerful on its own, it can become highly significant when combined with effective teaching, clear feedback, and high expectations. The greatest impact is consistently found among lower-achieving students.
In classroom practice, this means:
Giving feedback on process and strategy rather than on innate ability.
Creating a classroom culture where mistakes are seen as a natural part of learning.
Challenging students at the right level and showing that effort leads to progress.
Encouraging students to reflect on how they learn and which strategies work for them.
For schools and leaders, growth mindset is not about slogans but about systematically building a learning environment where students experience that their effort and strategic choices matter. By integrating the mindset approach into teaching, we strengthen both learning outcomes and motivation.