THE INFLUENCE OF A GROWTH MINDSET INTERVENTION ON MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS' BELIEFS ABOUT THE NATURE OF INTELLIGENCE

摘要

This research project explored the influence of a one-hour session on growth mindset during two offerings of a three-day science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) summer camps for middle-school girls. One hundred and two girls in grades 5-7 participated in hands-on activities provided by faculty members and graduate students from four colleges at a large, midwestern university: Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Veterinary Medicine. A quasi-experimental design was used to measure the impact of the growth mindset intervention on girls' beliefs about the nature of intelligence. Participants completed three Likert-scale items to assess their beliefs about intelligence in pre- and post- surveys. On average, participants rejected statements suggesting that intelligence is innate and their belief that intelligence can grow increased according to their responses on the pre- and post- surveys. This increase in beliefs that reflect a growth mindset was significantly greater for girls who participated in the growth mindset intervention (treatment) than for those who did not (control).