Students’ grades, growth mindset, and mathematics performance: PISA results in Southeast Asia and Australia

Mathematical ability has an important role in supporting the progress of science and technology in a country, including in Southeast Asia and Australia. This study aims to compare students' mathematical abilities at various grades in Southeast Asia and Australia countries and to see the effect of the growth mindset on this ability. The research data was obtained from the results of the 2018 PISA survey for Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, plus Australia as an additional comparison. Quantitative analysis was carried out using linear regression models with and without interaction. The results showed that there was a significant interaction between grade and growth mindset in each country except Australia. The mathematical ability of students in Indonesia and Philippines, which were the lowest average among other countries, was strongly influenced by grade, growth mindset, and the interaction between them. Significant interaction between students’ grade and growth mindset in affecting students’ mathematical ability also found in Thailand and Malaysia. However, Singapore and Australia, which had average scores higher than those of the OECD, tended to have small to no effect on students' mathematical ability.