Search Results

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Geoff Cohen and Tanner LeBaron Wallace. In this project, the researchers examined how teachers weave messages of growth, belonging, purpose, and affirmation (or their opposite) into their day-to-day practice, as well as whether creating learning environments that may support adaptive learning mindsets through these verbal messages is related to teachers’ ability to promote gains in students’ math achievement. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Camille Farrington. This project was designed to leverage data collected from a longitudinal, cross-cultural project on the social-emotional brain development of adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The researchers explored how students’ neurobiological predispositions in social-emotional processing interact with their learning environments (i.e., community and family) and cultural influences to shape their social functioning over time. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Mesmin Destin. This project examines the relationships between socioeconomic status and adaptive learning mindsets and offers the first estimate of the degree to which perceptions about the nature of intelligence (growth/fixed mindset) are related to both socioeconomic status and academic performance among high school students in the U.S. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Christopher Hulleman and Stephanie Wormington. The project explored whether students’ learning mindsets as they enter college are related to their academic success during the first two years of school. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Matthew Kraft. The project leveraged a large sample of students in the California CORE districts to examine how feelings of belonging in school affect academic, behavioral, and social-emotional experiences and outcomes. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Sidney D'Mello. The project explores how mindsets and other psychological factors can help us to understand what contributes to students’ likelihood of graduating from college and how are these relationships influenced by environmental contexts. The snapshot shares key findings, information on the interdisciplinary research team, and insights and future directions for the project.

The Student Experience Research Network recently launched a new initiative to fund interdisciplinary projects that explore how learning environments shape the mindsets students develop about learning and school.

This brief provides an overview of the eight projects that were funded, including the research team, team disciplines, and primary research questions.

This research brief overviews a study by Andrei Cimpian and his colleagues, exploring the development of stereotypes about intelligence. The research team conducted multiple studies to assess the developmental trajectory of the endorsement of gender stereotypes among young children between the ages of 5 and 7. They found that by the age of 6, girls were less likely than boys to believe that members of their gender are “really, really smart” and were less likely to participate in activities labeled for children that were very smart.

This research brief discusses the findings from a study by Matthew Kraft and his colleagues. In this study the team analyzed data from New York City Public Schools to explore how dimensions of school climate related to teacher turnover and student achievement. They found that improvements in all four dimensions of school climate measured in the study (leadership, expectations, collaboration, and safety) were associated with reductions in teacher turnover and that as schools improved their climate, students had increased academic gains.

This research brief summarizes a study by SERN scholars Dave Paunesku, Greg Walton, Carissa Romero, David Yeager, Carol Dweck, and their colleague Eric Smith on the effectiveness of short, computer-based learning mindset programs on academic achievement for high school students.

The links between growth mindset and achievement received important new validation from this first-of-its-kind study by SERN scholars Carol Dweck and Dave Paunesku and their colleague Susana Claro. The research team surveyed all 10th grade students in Chile, allowing them to use a national data set to explore the relationships between mindsets, academic achievement, and family income.

This research brief looks into how parent practices affect children’s mindsets. Kyla Haimovitz and Carol Dweck designed multiple studies to explore how the way parents view failure influences their children’s views on intelligence.

This research brief summarizes three studies by SERN scholars David Yeager, Greg Walton, Dave Paunesku, Angela Duckworth, Geoffrey Cohen, Carol Dweck, and their colleagues that explore whether online exercises delivered before college can effectively prepare students for certain challenges they may face during the transition to college. The studies found that these programs were able to improve educational outcomes and decrease achievement gaps between African American, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, first-generation students and their peers.

Being suspended from school has been shown to have numerous detrimental long-term effects, including adult unemployment and increased likelihood of incarceration. While there are many factors that influence student behavior, the quality of students’ relationships with their teachers is one of the strongest predictors of classroom behavior. Researchers Jason Okonofua, Dave Paunesku, and Gregory Walton explored whether a short program designed to influence teachers’ mindsets about student behavior and discipline could lead to changes in the way teachers interacted with students and whether these changes in teachers’ behavior could, in turn, positively affect students’ classroom experience and behavior.

Motivation is an important component of success in both the classroom and beyond. Researchers Rory Lazowski and Chris Hulleman completed an extensive meta-analysis to look at the effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing students' motivation. They found that overall motivation interventions are effective and can improve both levels of motivation along with academic performance and school attendance.

Many strides have been made to promote gender equity in the workplace, but women are still significantly under-represented in leadership roles in corporate America. Researchers Katherine T.U. Emerson & Mary C. Murphy designed three studies to observe how women's experiences at work are affected by mindsets promoted by the organizations.

Researchers Andrei Cimpian, Yan Mu, & Lucy Claire Erickson explore how young children's performance on a task is affected by statements about ability and group membership.

Nicole Stephens, MarYam Hamedani, and Mesmin Destin examined the effectiveness of a program that helped students understand how differences in social background contribute to their experiences in college.