Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026
10:26
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
4.4K
A strategic mindset predicts and promotes effective learning and academic performance
Patricia Chen1, Qiao Kang Teo2, Daniel X Y Foo2
1The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. patchen@utexas.edu.
NPJ Science of Learning
|November 1, 2025
Summary
Developing a strategic mindset enhances learning strategies and academic performance. This psychological orientation helps students use effective methods, especially when facing challenges, leading to better exam results.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Effective learning strategies are crucial for self-regulated learning and academic success.
- A strategic mindset, defined as an orientation towards using task-appropriate methods, particularly during difficulties, is a key psychological factor influencing strategy use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the predictive role of a strategic mindset in effective learning strategy use and academic achievement.
- To investigate the impact of a strategic mindset intervention on learning strategies and performance in educational settings.
Main Methods:
- Four studies were conducted with 7475 adolescent and adult students across over 30 Singapore schools.
- Correlational surveys assessed the relationship between strategic mindset, learning strategy use, and exam performance.
- A field experiment involved 1070 students to evaluate a strategic mindset intervention's effects.
Main Results:
- A strategic mindset positively correlated with the use of effective learning strategies and higher exam performance.
- The intervention successfully increased students' reported use of effective learning strategies and subsequent exam performance.
- Intervention effects were more pronounced in academically prepared students and supportive peer environments.
Conclusions:
- A strategic mindset is a significant predictor of effective learning strategy use and academic achievement.
- Interventions targeting a strategic mindset can enhance learning strategies and improve educational outcomes.
- Findings contribute to self-regulated learning theory and offer practical implications for educational practice.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Growth versus Fixed Mindset
226
Carol Dweck introduced the term mindset to describe individuals' beliefs about their intellectual and personal capabilities. These beliefs significantly influence psychological processes such as motivation, goal-setting, and perseverance, ultimately shaping academic and life outcomes. Individuals generally possess one of two mindsets- a fixed or a growth mindset—each promoting different responses to success, failure, and challenge.Fixed vs. Growth MindsetA fixed mindset assumes that one's...
226
01:26Metacognition
697
Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
697
01:12Hindsight Biases
4.2K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?
4.2K
01:21Cognitive Learning
991
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
991
01:19Critical Thinking
996
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...
Colleges and universities are...
996
01:22Purposive Learning
430
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
430