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Students (like all people) have elements of both growth and fixed mindsets. We studied shifts in both types of student mindsets over three one-semester courses. We found no significant change in students’ growth mindset at the beginning of the semester compared to the end of the semester. However, students’ fixed mindsets showed a statistically significant increase from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester. Two multilevel models were used to understand why students’ fixed mindsets may have increased 1) personal sourcesmastery goal, performance goal, and internal recognition, and 2) situational sourcesclassroom goal orientations and external recognition. Students’ endorsement of a performance goal orientation, which focuses on demonstrating competence and managing others’ perception of their abilities, increased their fixed mindset views at the end of the semester. In the model focused on situational sources, we found that students’ fixed mindset increased when they perceived their classroom environment endorsed a performance-approach goal structure and by receiving external recognition. When comparing both models, students’ fixed mindset increase was largely explained by classroom environmental sources. Specifically, students’ fixed mindsets increased when they perceived that their classroom environment valued a demonstration of competence (i.e., classroom performance-approach). Being recognized as an engineer by peers and instructors also increased students’ fixed views of their abilities. Conversely, one situational source was found to decrease students’ fixed mindset views, i.e., a classroom environment that promotes mastery goals. Our study points to an apparent and crucial role engineering classroom environments have in promoting certain mindsets. The study concludes with one pedagogical strategy that may help mitigate the inadvertent promotion of a fixed mindset, e.g., a mastery learning pedagogical intervention.
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Evaluation of the Use of Growth Mindset in the CS Classroom
Within computer science education, a growth mindset is encouraged. However, faculty development on the use of growth mindset in the classroom is rare and resources to support the use of a growth mindset are limited. A framework for a computer science growth mindset classroom, which includes faculty development, lesson plans, and vocabulary for use with students, has been developed. The objective is to determine if faculty development in growth mindset and active use of the growth mindset cues in the CS0 and CS1 classroom result in superior academic outcomes. Comparative study results are presented for two semesters of virtual classroom environments: one semester without Growth Mindset, and one semester with Growth Mindset. Female students demonstrated the most growth, as measured by academic grades, in CS0, and maintained that growth in CS1. Males demonstrated growth as well, with both males and females converging at the same high point of accomplishment at the end of CS1. Race and ethnicity gaps between students were reduced, improving academic equity.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1928452
- PAR ID:
- 10356317
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- SIGCSE 2022: Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
- Volume:
- 1
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 878 to 884
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3478431.3499365
