Mindset in the secondary school classroom: interaction with social value of effort and contingencies of self-worth

Abstract

This quantitative study examined year group, ability level and gender differences in mindset, social value of effort and contingencies of self-worth of 174 participants aged 13–18 years in a Scottish secondary school. The measures were Dweck's (2000) Theories of Intelligence Scale, Juvonen and Murdoch's (1995) Social Value of Effort Scale and Crocker's (2003) Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale. Analysis of Variance indicated no significant differences for mindset or age. However, significant gender differences were found for social value of effort and contingencies of self-worth. The research and practitioner implications of these findings are discussed. The limitations are that this study focussed on specific age and ability groups which could limit its generalisability. Future research should investigate these variables in wider contexts. Implications for educational psychologists’ practice include taking account of psychological and social factors in the adoption and implementation of interventions designed to improve pupils’ academic progress.