EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF GROWTH: A GROUNDED THEORY CASE STUDY FROM TÜRKIYE

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.