Mindset Matters: How Teachers and Students Shape Each Other’s Beliefs

Vestad, L., Bru, E., & Virtannen, T. (2025). Does teacher support predict students’ growth mindset? A random intercept cross‐lagged panel model. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 00, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.70009

Introduction
A growing body of research affirms the significance of a “growth mindset”: the belief that abilities can improve with effort, and can support student motivation, resilience, and academic success. While earlier interventions emphasized internal belief change, attention has shifted toward the social contexts that support mindset development, especially the role of teachers. Vestad and colleagues (2025) extend this inquiry by testing not only whether teachers’ support fosters students’ growth mindsets (GM), but also whether students’ mindsets influence how they perceive teacher support (TSGM).

Methods
Using a robust longitudinal design, the authors explore the interplay between GM and TSGM among Norwegian adolescents from ages 13 to 16. Data were drawn from a sample of 1,760 students across 25 Norwegian lower secondary schools. Surveys measuring perceived teacher support for growth mindset and students’ own mindset beliefs were administered across three time points. To examine change over time while separating stable traits from fluctuating experiences, the authors employed a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). Gender, GPA, parental education, and intervention status were included as covariates. Measures demonstrated strong reliability and scalar invariance across waves.

Results
The analyses revealed a significant, bidirectional relationship between TSGM and GM across all waves. Teachers’ support for growth mindset positively predicted students’ subsequent mindset beliefs, while students’ growth mindsets also predicted later perceptions of teacher support. These effects were moderate and consistent, suggesting mutual reinforcement over time. Moreover, stable components of TSGM and GM were strongly correlated (r = .64), indicating that students with persistently high levels of one also reported high levels of the other.

Discussion
This study provides compelling evidence that student-teacher interactions surrounding mindset are not unidirectional. While teacher support clearly contributes to mindset development, students with growth-oriented beliefs are also more likely to seek help, interpret feedback constructively, and elicit supportive responses from teachers. This creates a self-reinforcing loop for students already on a growth trajectory. However, approximately one-third of students reported limited exposure to growth-oriented teaching, suggesting a need for educators to intentionally reach students who may not naturally engage in these feedback loops. The findings validate efforts to cultivate growth-supportive classroom cultures and call attention to students who may need more targeted support.

Implications for Mentoring Programs
For mentoring initiatives, the authors highlight the importance of relational dynamics in promoting a growth mindset. Mentors should be trained not only to convey messages of malleability and effort but also to recognize when mentees may not be responsive to such messages. This may require greater persistence, warmth, and personalization. Furthermore, mentors who model growth mindset in their own behaviors, such as acknowledging mistakes, celebrating progress, and embracing challenge, can foster reciprocal growth-oriented relationships.

Read the full paper here