Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement

This study investigates the moderating effects of several contextual factors (i.e., teachers’ growth mindset, perceived school climate, and perceived parental autonomy support) on the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement. Drawing on Dweck’s growth mindset theory and...

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Main Authors: Kai Zhang, Wu-Jing He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Intelligence
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/1/8
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author Kai Zhang
Wu-Jing He
author_facet Kai Zhang
Wu-Jing He
author_sort Kai Zhang
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the moderating effects of several contextual factors (i.e., teachers’ growth mindset, perceived school climate, and perceived parental autonomy support) on the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement. Drawing on Dweck’s growth mindset theory and recent research findings that highlight the context sensitivity of the growth mindset, we hypothesize that supportive environments strengthen the positive impact of students’ growth mindset on academic outcomes. A sample of 358 middle school students (53.8% female; Mage = 13.38 years, SD = 2.20) from public schools in Shanghai City, mainland China, was assessed via three validated instruments: (1) the Growth Mindset Inventory, which is used to measure students’ and teachers’ beliefs about intelligence; (2) the Delaware School Climate Survey for Students, which is used to assess students’ perceptions of the school climate; and (3) the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale, which is used to evaluate students’ perceived parental autonomy support. Academic achievement was measured by district-level final exam scores. The results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that teachers’ growth mindset, perceived school climate support (e.g., teacher–student and student–student relations, fairness of rules, school safety, liking of school), and the perception of positive parental autonomy support (e.g., choice, rationale, acknowledgment) positively moderated the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement. In contrast, the perception of negative parental autonomy factors (e.g., punishment threats, performance pressure, guilt-inducing criticism) negatively moderated this relationship. These results indicate that the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement may vary depending on contextual factors, highlighting the importance of considering both positive and negative influences when designing educational strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-730087bb507c48fe8b891bd09e69def12025-01-24T13:36:22ZengMDPI AGJournal of Intelligence2079-32002025-01-01131810.3390/jintelligence13010008Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic AchievementKai Zhang0Wu-Jing He1Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaThis study investigates the moderating effects of several contextual factors (i.e., teachers’ growth mindset, perceived school climate, and perceived parental autonomy support) on the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement. Drawing on Dweck’s growth mindset theory and recent research findings that highlight the context sensitivity of the growth mindset, we hypothesize that supportive environments strengthen the positive impact of students’ growth mindset on academic outcomes. A sample of 358 middle school students (53.8% female; Mage = 13.38 years, SD = 2.20) from public schools in Shanghai City, mainland China, was assessed via three validated instruments: (1) the Growth Mindset Inventory, which is used to measure students’ and teachers’ beliefs about intelligence; (2) the Delaware School Climate Survey for Students, which is used to assess students’ perceptions of the school climate; and (3) the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale, which is used to evaluate students’ perceived parental autonomy support. Academic achievement was measured by district-level final exam scores. The results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that teachers’ growth mindset, perceived school climate support (e.g., teacher–student and student–student relations, fairness of rules, school safety, liking of school), and the perception of positive parental autonomy support (e.g., choice, rationale, acknowledgment) positively moderated the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement. In contrast, the perception of negative parental autonomy factors (e.g., punishment threats, performance pressure, guilt-inducing criticism) negatively moderated this relationship. These results indicate that the relationship between students’ growth mindset and academic achievement may vary depending on contextual factors, highlighting the importance of considering both positive and negative influences when designing educational strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/1/8growth mindsetacademic achievementteachers’ mindsetschool climateperceived parental autonomy support
spellingShingle Kai Zhang
Wu-Jing He
Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
Journal of Intelligence
growth mindset
academic achievement
teachers’ mindset
school climate
perceived parental autonomy support
title Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
title_full Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
title_fullStr Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
title_full_unstemmed Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
title_short Teachers’ Growth Mindset, Perceived School Climate, and Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Moderate the Relationship Between Students’ Growth Mindset and Academic Achievement
title_sort teachers growth mindset perceived school climate and perceived parental autonomy support moderate the relationship between students growth mindset and academic achievement
topic growth mindset
academic achievement
teachers’ mindset
school climate
perceived parental autonomy support
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/1/8
work_keys_str_mv AT kaizhang teachersgrowthmindsetperceivedschoolclimateandperceivedparentalautonomysupportmoderatetherelationshipbetweenstudentsgrowthmindsetandacademicachievement
AT wujinghe teachersgrowthmindsetperceivedschoolclimateandperceivedparentalautonomysupportmoderatetherelationshipbetweenstudentsgrowthmindsetandacademicachievement