Student Well-Being Reports

Mindset in the Classroom: A National Study of K-12 Teachers

September 2016

The concept of growth mindset—the belief that intelligence can be developed through effort—has gained considerable attention in K-12 education in recent years. To learn more about educators’ experiences and views regarding growth mindset, the Education Week Research Center developed an original survey and administered it to a national sample of more than 600 K-12 teachers in May 2016. The study sheds light on how teachers rate their own familiarity with growth mindset, its importance for student achievement, and its impact on their instruction. Survey results provide detailed data on the ways in which teachers are implementing core tenets of growth mindset and incorporating this concept into day-to-day interaction with students. This report presents findings from the survey, which was designed to examine teachers’ perspectives, professional development and training, and classroom practices.