Testing the Difference between School Level and Academic Mindset in the Classroom: Implications for Developing Student Psycho-Social Skills in Secondary School Classrooms

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between school level and the psychosocial construct of an academic mindset operationalized on the Likert-style Project for Educational Research That Scales (PERTS) instrument; widely used in testing academic mindset interventions at the classroom level. Analyses were conducted using existing school district data collected during the month of April, 2016, delivered to students, grades 3 through 8, (n = 2,908) in the classroom at three elementary schools and two middles schools. The overarching research question was, “Is there a relationship between school level and students’ academic mindset as measured by the PERTS scale?” Results revealed a significant decrease in the classroom PERTS scale mean scores between elementary classrooms (n = 70) and secondary classrooms (n = 50). A history of psycho-social construct theory and practical applications for the classroom are provided.