Faculty Beliefs about the Nature of Intelligence

Abstract

Educators shape the learning experiences of students in the classroom. Their views on intelligence influence the beliefs students have about their own abilities to learn. Astin (2016) cautioned, "The faculty culture regards smartness in an almost reverential fashion" (p. 4). Research on academic mindsets has focused mainly on secondary education (e.g., Dweck, 2016; Yeager & Dweck, 2012). There is a gap in the literature about educator views about intelligence in higher education. The purpose of this study was to measure the beliefs that faculty from various academic disciplines hold about the nature of their own intelligence and the intelligence of their students. Faculty at one land grant institution participated in an eight-term Mindset survey. Position was the only statistically significant demographic factor.