Connection between Teacher Support and Student’s Achievement: Could Growth Mindset Be the Moderator?

Agne Brandisauskiene,Ausra Daugirdiene,Loreta Buksnyte-Marmiene,Jurate Cesnaviciene,Rasa Nedzinskaite-Maciuniene,Egle Kemeryte-Ivanauskiene

doi:10.3390/su132413632

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on the system of education—gaps in students’ learning, their socioemotional and mental health problems and growing inequality have been recorded. These problems confront students from low socioeconomic status (SES) in particular, therefore supportive relationships with teachers are of great importance. The growth mindset, as a student’s belief that he or she can develop his or her capabilities, can help him or her cope with arising difficulties. Based on the first hypothesis, this study sought to establish whether teacher support is positively related to student’s achievement. Our second hypothesis is as follows: a student’s growth mindset moderates the positive effect of teacher support on students’ achievement; this relationship is stronger when the student’s growth mindset is higher. The research sample consisted of 163 students from municipalities of Lithuania that are regarded as socioeconomically disadvantaged. The research results show positive correlations between teacher’ support, student’s growth mindset and achievement. Additionally, the role of student’s growth mindset as a moderator between teacher support and the student’s achievement was established. Statistically significant differences between high-SES and low-SES students when comparing their growth mindsets and achievement prove that it is important to enhance confidence of low-SES students in their capabilities and the potential to develop them.

Highlights

IntroductionIn seeking to achieve the main goal of sustainable development, school communities have an important mission—to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all individuals and society, and in the years to come [1]
In analysing research variables by sociodemographic characteristics, the greatest differences were noticed in the analysis of the achievement results: student’s achievement differed statistically significantly by gender and by the socioeconomic status (SES) background
In assessing the level of the growth mindset, significant differences by the SES background were revealed, no differences by gender were noticed

Summary

Introduction

In seeking to achieve the main goal of sustainable development, school communities have an important mission—to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all individuals and society, and in the years to come [1]. This mission is reflected in the implementation of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4), that is, creating and ensuring qualitative and inclusive education for all children. It is with respect to sustainable development that one of the missions of a school is to contribute to promoting social justice and people’s wellbeing [2] This can be achieved by creating positive teacher–student relationships, fulfilling socio-emotional needs of a child, and implementing individualised education that meets a child’s personal learning needs

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion