Can growth mindset interventions improve academic achievement? A structured review of the existing evidence

Abstract Encouraging the idea of a growth mindset in which students believe that they can improve their ability, as opposed to a fixed mindset, has been suggested as an effective and relatively cheap approach to improving student attainment at school. This paper offers a comprehensive review of the evidence from growth mindset interventions. After a rigorous search, screening and evaluation, the inclusion criteria led to 24 studies. All were randomised control trials (RCTs) focused on growth mindset of intelligence interventions for school‐age children and included output measures for academic performance assessment. Their findings reveal that the strongest studies, characterised by larger sample sizes, minimal missing data and high data quality, exhibit null or very small effect sizes, ranging from Cohen's d = −0.01 to +0.065. Additionally, certain findings raise concerns about a potential conflict‐of‐interest bias, suggesting that some negative or null results may remain unpublished. The review identifies four evaluations with a high degree of trustworthiness and non‐conflict of interest. Among these, two studies indicate no discernible impact, while the other two show a very small impact. Given these findings, we found evidence that suggest that growth mindset interventions targeted for school‐age students, do not have much or any relevant impact in academic achievement. It is therefore not advisable for schools, school districts or governments to allocate significant time or resources to the implementation of growth mindset interventions for school‐age students, as the anticipated outcomes are likely to be either null or very modest. However, if there is an opportunity to implement such interventions at a minimal or negligible cost, or as part of another objective, it might be reasonable to proceed with them, considering the potential for a small positive impact. Context and implications Rationale for this study and why the new findings matter The concept of Growth Mindset has gained widespread popularity over the past decade, prompting numerous organisations to offer Growth Mindset interventions and resources. Consequently, schools, districts and governments are allocating substantial financial resources to this area. However, the true impact of these interventions remains a contentious issue among scholars. The findings of this study suggest that more reliable research does not demonstrate a meaningful effect of these interventions on students' academic outcomes. Implications for schools, school districts and governments Schools, school districts and governments should be cautious about dedicating substantial time or resources to the implementation of growth mindset interventions for students, as the anticipated results are likely to be limited or marginal. Nevertheless, if there are chances to execute these interventions at a minimal or negligible expense, it could be worthwhile to proceed, considering the possibility of achieving a slight positive effect.