Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Frank Volpe

Publication Date

7-1-2016

Abstract

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in order to evaluate the relationship between a student's mindset (incremental vs. entity beliefs about intelligence) and their score on the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) in the areas of Math, Reading, and Language. The NWEA MAP is a computer adaptive test aligned with the Common Core Standards. Students' mindsets were measured using Dweck's (2000) Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale for Children. The study was conducted at a college preparatory charter school in a metropolitan area of the Southwestern United States. Participants included 307 middle school students in grades 6-8. Question predictor and control variables were evaluated through descriptive statistics and estimated bivariate correlation matrices. Nested taxonomies of multiple regression models for each of the NWEA MAP subject tests were constructed. The control variables evaluated include: gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, special education participation, gifted education participation, grade point average, attendance, and year in school. Results indicated that there was a small to moderate, statistically significant estimated correlation between student mindset and NWEA MAP performance across all subject tests. Contingent on the subject test, specific control predictors were identified as mediating this relationship. There were negative estimated correlations found between the NWEA MAP subject tests and ethnicity (math), socioeconomic status (math and reading), and special education (reading and language). There were positive estimated correlations found between GPA and gifted program identification across math, reading, and language subject tests. In support of previous findings suggesting student mindset is associated with student achievement, this study provides further evidence that student mindset correlates with student performance on standardized tests and that this estimated correlation is mediated by subgroup factors.

Keywords

Mindset, Intelligence, Motivation, Achievement, Entity vs. Incrimental, Construct Irrelevant Variance, Growth Mindset, Standardized Test, Beliefs About Intelligence, Implicit Theories of Intelligence

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Educational Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Individual, Family, and Community Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Flowerday, Terri

Second Committee Member

Borden, Allison

Third Committee Member

Armstrong, Jan

Fourth Committee Member

Jones, Martin

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