Growth Mindset, Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Academic Performance Among Grade 7 Students: Basis for Instructional Development Program

This study examined the relationships among growth mindset, mathematics self-efficacy, and academic performance among Grade 7 students at Maria Clara L. Lobregat National High School during School Year 2025–2026 and used the findings as the basis for an instructional development program. Anchored in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Dweck’s Growth Mindset Theory, the study employed a quantitative-correlational design involving 303 students selected from a population of 1,247 learners across 22 sections through stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Data were collected using a three-part survey questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, an eight-item growth mindset scale, and a 17-item mathematics self-efficacy scale, while academic performance was represented by final Mathematics grades. Results revealed moderate growth mindset (M=3.10), moderate mathematics self-efficacy (M=3.46), and satisfactory Mathematics performance (M=84.64). Growth mindset was moderately and positively correlated with mathematics self-efficacy (r=0.521, p=0.000), while growth mindset (r=0.311, p=0.000) and mathematics self-efficacy (r=0.317, p=0.000) had significant but weaker positive relationships with Mathematics performance. Growth mindset differed significantly only according to father’s educational qualification, whereas mathematics self-efficacy showed no significant differences across the demographic variables examined. The findings indicate that learners’ beliefs and confidence contribute to, but do not solely determine, Mathematics achievement. The study supported the development and recommended pilot implementation of the GROW-MATH Program, incorporating differentiated instruction and structured learning support to strengthen persistence, confidence, engagement, and mathematical learning. The study supports SDG 4—Quality Education and SDG 3—Good Health and Well-Being through its focus on mathematics learning, confidence, resilience, and emotional well-being. It contributes to educational, institutional, community, and socio-economic sustainability by providing context-specific evidence for instructional improvement, learner support, and sustained participation in mathematics learning.