THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING PACKAGE TO ENHANCE GROWTH MINDSET AND BEHAVIOR IN INSTRUCTION FOR NOVICE TEACHERS
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a modular training program designed to enhance growth mindset and instructional behavior among novice primary school teachers in Hangzhou, China. Addressing common challenges in classroom management, lesson planning, and student engagement, the program integrated mindset cultivation with practical pedagogical strategies. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest mixed-methods design was used with 20 novice teachers over five weeks (15 sessions). The training included three modules: cultivating a growth mindset, mastering evidence-based teaching strategies, and applying practices through micro-teaching with structured peer feedback. Quantitative data were collected using standardized measures of growth mindset and instructional behavior; analyses included paired-samples tests, effect sizes, correlations, and regression to examine whether mindset predicted changes in instructional behavior. Qualitative data from reflections and interviews triangulated the findings. Results indicated significant improvements in both growth mindset and instructional behavior with notable effect sizes. Growth mindset significantly predicted gains in instructional behavior, and participants reported high satisfaction and perceived feasibility. The findings provide empirical support for integrated, modular professional development that links teachers’ beliefs with day-to-day practice, suggesting a scalable approach to strengthen novice teachers’ long-term professional growth and classroom effectiveness.
Keywords Growth Mindset; Instructional Behavior; Novice Teachers; Teacher Training; Quasi-Experimental
Article Details
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263.
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. David McKay.
Craft, A. (2005). Teacher mindset and the promotion of creativity in the classroom. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228644444_Teacher_Mind
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Macmillan.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256–273.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588.
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318759268
Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in action: Applying modern principles of adult learning. Jossey-Bass.
Montessori, M. (1964). The Montessori method. Schocken Books.
Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) manual, K–3. Paul H. Brookes.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00036-1
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805
Yeager, D. S., Hanselman, P., Walton, G. M., Murray, J. S., Crosnoe, R., Muller, C., … Dweck, C. S. (2019). A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature, 573(7774), 364–369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1466-y
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2020). What can be learned from growth mindset controversies? American Psychologist, 75(9), 1269–1284.
https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000794
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
Thorndike, E. L. (1931). Human learning. Columbia University Press.