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The role of peer mindsets in students' learning: An experimental study
Pamela C Sheffler1, Cecilia S Cheung1
1University of California, Riverside, California, USA.
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|June 19, 2019
Summary
Peer mindsets significantly impact students' task value. Interacting with peers who hold a growth mindset increases engagement and task value, highlighting the importance of peer influence in academic settings.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Implicit theories of intelligence, particularly growth mindset, are linked to improved student academic achievement and engagement.
- Existing research primarily examines teacher and parent influences, leaving the role of peer implicit theories of intelligence under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of peers' implicit theories of intelligence on students' learning outcomes.
- To test whether perceptions of peer competence mediate the relationship between peer mindsets and learning outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 134 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to interact with confederates trained to express either a growth or fixed mindset.
- Participants engaged in a conversation, completed a problem-solving task, and filled out a survey.
Main Results:
- Students interacting with peers holding a growth mindset reported higher task value compared to those in a fixed mindset peer context.
- Perceptions of peer competence were found to mediate the effect of the peer mindset context on task value.
Conclusions:
- Peer mindsets can influence an individual's task valuation, suggesting peers are a significant factor in academic contexts.
- These findings indicate that peer dynamics should be considered when developing interventions to foster a growth mindset.
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