The Impact of Growth Mindset and Effort on Academic Achievement and Classroom Attitude

Recent studies reported inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between growth mindset and academic achievement. This study investigated whether the discrepancy between students’ growth mindset and their efforts could explain such inconsistencies. Specifically, it aimed to identify distinct student profiles based on growth mindset and effort levels in the first year of middle school, and to examine whether academic achievement and classroom attitudes in the second year differ by profiles. Data from the 3rd (2015) to 4th (2016) surveys of the Korean Education Longitudinal Study (KELS) was analyzed. A total of 6,767 students (female: 50.5%, male: 49.5%), excluding missing data, were included in the analysis. Four distinct clusters were identified through a two-step cluster analysis differentiated growth mindset and effort behavior patterns. These four types include: (1) high growth mindset with high effort behavior, (2) high growth mindset with low effort behavior, (3) low growth mindset with average effort behavior, and (4) extremely low growth mindset with extremely low effort behavior. A subsequent ANCOVA analysis results showed that students with a high growth mindset paired with high effort behaviors outperformed all other groups in both academic performance and classroom attitudes. Notably, no significant differences were observed in academic performance or classroom attitudes between two contrasting groups: those with high growth mindset but low effort behaviors and those with extremely low growth mindset and extremely low effort behaviors. These findings highlight the existence of a false growth mindset—one not accompanied by action—and underscore the importance of supporting students in translating their beliefs into effortful behaviors. Implications for educational practice and limitations of the study are discussed.