EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF GROWTH: A GROUNDED THEORY CASE STUDY FROM TÜRKIYE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.311468Keywords:
grounded theory, growth mindset, teacher education, undergrad studentsAbstract
This study examines students' perceptions of personal growth by applying growth mindset principles through a grounded theory approach. Using qualitative data collected from interviews, the research focuses on beliefs about effort, responses to failure, feedback, and the malleability of intelligence. A theoretical sampling strategy, integral to grounded theory methodology, was employed to select 32 students from the Faculty of Education, including 9 second-year, 19 third-year, and 4 fourth-year students. The findings reveal four key themes: Effort-Driven Development, emphasizing the primacy of effort over innate ability; Resilience and Learning from Failure, which highlights failure as an opportunity for growth; Openness to Feedback as a Development Tool, demonstrating the value placed on feedback for self-improvement; and A Dynamic View of Intelligence and Abilities, reflecting a belief in the evolving nature of intelligence. These insights enhance our understanding of how growth mindset principles manifest in educational contexts, offering practical implications for teaching practices and organizational strategies aimed at fostering personal development.
Downloads
References
- Archer, L., Hollingworth, S., & Mendick, H. (2012). Urban youth and schooling: The aspirations and identities of educationally 'at risk' young people. Routledge.
- Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child development, 78(1), 246-263.
- Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241-258). Greenwood.
- Bridges, W. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change. Da Capo Press.
- Brock, A., & Hundley, H. (2016). The growth mindset coach: a teacher's month-by-month handbook for empowering students to achieve. Simon and Schuster.
- Butler, R. (2007). Teachers' achievement goal orientations and associations with teachers' help seeking: Examination of a novel approach to teacher motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 241-252. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.241
- Caniëls, M. C. J., Semeijn, J. H., & Renders, I. H. M. (2018). Mind the mindset! The interaction of proactive personality, transformational leadership and growth mindset for engagement at work. Career Development International, 23(1), 48-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-11-2016-0194
- Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory : a practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage Publications.
- Dominick, H., & Ronald, B. (2019). Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset. How Ways of Thinking and Self-images. Can Benefit or Impede Learning and Personal Development. School Quality and Teacher Education Snapshots 1.1. Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg/School of Education.
- Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U., & May, A. (2004). Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, 427(6972), 311-312.
- Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random house.
- Dweck, C. S. (2008). Can Personality Be Changed? The Role of Beliefs in Personality and Change. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(6), 391-394. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00612.x
- Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256-273. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.95.2.256
- Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative science quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
- Fang, F.-F. A. (2017). Teachers' beliefs about the nature and malleability of intelligence. Columbia University.
- Fives, H., & Buehl, M. M. (2008). What do teachers believe? Developing a framework for examining beliefs about teachers’ knowledge and ability. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33(2), 134-176.
- Frondozo, C. E., King, R. B., Nalipay, M. J. N., & Mordeno, I. G. (2022). Mindsets matter for teachers, too: Growth mindset about teaching ability predicts teachers’ enjoyment and engagement. Current Psychology, 41(8), 5030-5033. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01008-4
- Gero, G. P. (2013). What Drives Teachers to Improve? The Role of Teacher Mindset in Professional Learning.
- Lal, D. (2016). A Journey of Teacher Education…. Meaning of 'Teacher'.
- Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1999). Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203793206
- Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112.
- Limeri, L. B., Carter, N. T., Choe, J., Harper, H. G., Martin, H. R., Benton, A., & Dolan, E. L. (2020). Growing a growth mindset: Characterizing how and why undergraduate students’ mindsets change. International Journal of Stem Education, 7, 1-19.
- Mesler, R. M., Corbin, C. M., & Martin, B. H. (2021). Teacher mindset is associated with development of students' growth mindset. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 76, 101299.
- Mintchik, N., Ramamoorti, S., & Gramling, A. (2021). Mindsets as an Enhancement of 21st Century Accounting Education. Issues in Accounting Education, 36. https://doi.org/10.2308/ISSUES-19-066
- Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children's motivation and performance. Journal of personality and social psychology, 75(1), 33.
- Mutluer, O., & Altun, S. (2023). Impact of Growth Mindset Strategies on Academic Achievement of 8th Grade Students. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 15(4).
- Nalipay, M. J. N., King, R. B., Mordeno, I. G., Chai, C.-S., & Jong, M. S.-y. (2021). Teachers with a growth mindset are motivated and engaged: the relationships among mindsets, motivation, and engagement in teaching. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 1663-1684.
- Nussbaum, A. D., & Dweck, C. S. (2008). Defensiveness versus remediation: Self-theories and modes of self-esteem maintenance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(5), 599-612.
- Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., Romero, C., Smith, E. N., Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2015). Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement. Psychological Science, 26(6), 784-793.
- Rissanen, I., Laine, S., Puusepp, I., Kuusisto, E., & Tirri, K. (2021). Implementing and Evaluating Growth Mindset Pedagogy – A Study of Finnish Elementary School Teachers. Frontiers in Education, 6, 753698. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.753698
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American psychologist, 55(1), 68.
- Samuel, T. S., & Warner, J. (2021). “I can math!”: Reducing math anxiety and increasing math self-efficacy using a mindfulness and growth mindset-based intervention in first-year students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 45(3), 205-222.
- Stenzel, B. K. (2015). Correlation between teacher mindset and perceptions regarding coaching, feedback, and improved instructional practice University of Nebraska at Omaha].
- Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1998). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. SAGE Publications. https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=wTwYUnHYsmMC
- Sun, X., Nancekivell, S., Gelman, S. A., & Shah, P. (2021). Growth mindset and academic outcomes: A comparison of US and Chinese students. npj Science of Learning, 6(1), 21.
- Yeager, D. S., Carroll, J. M., Buontempo, J., Cimpian, A., Woody, S., Crosnoe, R., Muller, C., Murray, J., Mhatre, P., Kersting, N., Hulleman, C., Kudym, M., Murphy, M., Duckworth, A. L., Walton, G. M., & Dweck, C. S. (2022). Teacher Mindsets Help Explain Where a Growth-Mindset Intervention Does and Doesn’t Work. Psychological Science, 33(1), 18-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211028984
- Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.
- Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2020). What can be learned from growth mindset controversies? American psychologist, 75(9), 1269.
- Yeager, D. S., Walton, G. M., Brady, S. T., Akcinar, E. N., Paunesku, D., Keane, L., Kamentz, D., Ritter, G., Duckworth, A. L., & Urstein, R. (2016). Teaching a lay theory before college narrows achievement gaps at scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(24), E3341-E3348.
- Yılmaz, T., & Güven, A. (2022). Zihniyet teorisi ölçeği: Üniversite öğrencilerinde zihniyet inançlarının incelenmesi [Theory of mindset scale: Examining mindset beliefs in university students]. Turkish Journal of Educational Studies, 15(3), 105-118. doi.10.38151/akef.2022.5
- Zeng, G., Hou, H., & Peng, K. (2016). Effect of growth mindset on school engagement and psychological well-being of Chinese primary and middle school students: The mediating role of resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1873.
- Zilka, A., Grinshtain, Y., & Bogler, R. (2022). Fixed or growth: teacher perceptions of factors that shape mindset. Professional Development in Education, 48(1), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1689524
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Leyla Yılmaz Fındık. The cover for this article was designed using chat.chatbotapp.ai
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).