Kattoum Ronia N, Montenegro-Montenegro Esteban, Baillie Mark T
School of Physics Sciences, Chemistry Program, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204, United States.
Department of Psychology and Child Development, California State University Stanislaus, Turlock, California 95382, United States.
J Chem Educ. 2024 Aug 13;101(9):3613-3623. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00971. eCollection 2024 Sep 10.
Student mindset beliefs about the malleability of intelligence have been linked to student outcomes. However, recent meta-analyses showed mixed findings on how student mindset impacts their outcomes depending on the environment and context, such as the mindset that the instructor projects in the classroom. The current work utilizes Social Cognitive Theory to elucidate the relationship among student perceptions of faculty mindset, affective factors (belonging, self-efficacy, and utility value), and behavioral factors (course grade) using a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens within the chemistry context at a demographically diverse institution. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) path analysis revealed that student perceptions of the instructor mindset did not directly predict chemistry course grades. However, a significant indirect effect, mediated by students' sense of academic misfit, was detected. The more students perceived instructors to endorse a fixed mindset, the more academic misfits they reported in their courses, which led to lower chemistry grades. ACT math scores (indicators of prior preparation) unsurprisingly had significant direct and indirect impact on chemistry course grades. Additionally, multigroup moderation analysis revealed that regression pathways did not differ based on race, gender, or age group. While this work highlights the benefit of instructors promoting a healthy learning environment that projects a growth mindset to students, this must be coupled with institutional support to help build foundational knowledge to prepare students for the rigor of chemistry courses and increase the chance of success for all students.
学生对智力可塑性的思维模式信念与学生的学习成果相关。然而，最近的元分析表明，关于学生思维模式如何根据环境和背景影响其学习成果的研究结果不一，比如教师在课堂上所展现出的思维模式。当前的研究运用社会认知理论，在一所人口结构多样的机构的化学学科背景下，从多元化、公平和包容（DEI）的视角，阐明学生对教师思维模式的认知、情感因素（归属感、自我效能感和实用价值）以及行为因素（课程成绩）之间的关系。结构方程模型（SEM）路径分析表明，学生对教师思维模式的认知并不能直接预测化学课程成绩。然而，研究发现了一个由学生的学业不适应感介导的显著间接效应。学生越认为教师认可固定型思维模式，他们在课程中报告的学业不适应情况就越多，这导致化学成绩较低。不出所料，美国大学入学考试（ACT）数学成绩（先前准备情况的指标）对化学课程成绩有显著的直接和间接影响。此外，多组调节分析表明，回归路径不因种族、性别或年龄组而有所不同。虽然这项研究强调了教师营造一个向学生传递成长型思维模式的健康学习环境的益处，但这必须与机构支持相结合，以帮助学生建立基础知识，使他们为化学课程的严格要求做好准备，并增加所有学生取得成功的机会。
