Are parents’ and teachers’ mindsets about abilities and failure related to children’s mindsets and self-regulated learning?

Abstract Children’s beliefs about abilities shape their learning. Although a growing body of research has examined whether parents’ and teachers’ beliefs are related to children’s beliefs and learning, very few studies have considered parents, teachers, and children simultaneously. Moreover, existing studies present mixed findings. Addressing this gap can clarify whether parents’ and teachers’ beliefs relate differently to children’s beliefs and learning. This study used structural equation modeling to analyze data from 757 children, their parents and teachers. Results showed that parents’ mindsets about abilities predicted children’s mindsets about abilities, while teachers’ mindsets about abilities did not. However, children’s perceptions of parents’ and teachers’ failure mindsets were linked to children’s beliefs and self-regulated learning. Although these findings highlight that adults’ beliefs relate differently to children’s beliefs and learning, they underscore the importance of cultivating growth-oriented environments both at home and school, where failure is framed as a valuable opportunity for learning.