Samuel Tolbert
Insights from the International Journal of STEM Education and How TSM + MV-SOAR Can Help Educators Design Growth-Aligned Learning Experiences
Mindset doesn’t change overnight—and it doesn’t change in a vacuum. A revealing study published in the International Journal of STEM Education titled “Growing a Growth Mindset: Characterizing How and Why Undergraduate Students’ Mindsets Change” (2020), uncovers how students’ mindset journeys often unfold not as lightbulb moments, but through course-tied, situational turning points. The research tracked college students across STEM majors and found that timing and context matter just as much as the message.
For students in urban and HBCU settings—where academic culture shock, self-doubt, and stereotype threats can shape early experiences—this insight is crucial: if we want to help students shift from a fixed to a growth mindset, we must align interventions with their academic reality.
What the Study Discovered
Students were most open to growth mindset shifts after a meaningful challenge—like failing an exam or struggling in a group project.
Peer support, instructor encouragement, and personal reflection often acted as mindset catalysts.
The most powerful shifts happened mid-semester, not at the start.
Students reported that purposeful curriculum design (e.g., courses that emphasize learning over grading) fostered mindset transformation.
In short, mindset growth isn’t just about belief—it’s about timing, environment, and reinforcement.
TSM in Real Time: Capturing the Shift
The Thought Seeking Model (TSM) provides the psychological engine for these shifts. This model helps students process moments of difficulty from belief to action.
In this context:
Beliefs are shaken during early academic challenge.
Reinforcement comes when instructors or peers respond with “You can grow from this,” not “You just don’t have it.”
Action becomes the student’s decision to stay engaged, ask questions, or retry.
Emotions include fear, disappointment, or pride—and are essential to mindset memory.
Thoughts evolve from “I’m not smart enough” to “This is part of the learning curve.”
This progression validates the importance of mid-semester mindset checkpoints, journaling prompts, or faculty-led “resilience resets.”
MV-SOAR as a Curriculum Companion
When applied through ETA’s MV-SOAR Framework, the timing of mindset work becomes more than strategic—it becomes developmental.
MV-SOAR Element | Strategic Application in Higher Ed |
Mindset | Introduce weekly micro-interventions aligned with midterms or major projects |
Values | Link academic effort to student identity, purpose, and cultural relevance |
Strengths | Help students name non-academic strengths they bring into STEM |
Obstacles | Use exams/failure as case studies for mindset practice—not judgment |
Accountability | Let students track mindset shifts through reflection or journaling |
Responsibility | Assign group roles where students teach or model growth mindset thinking |
Why This Matters
For academic leaders designing STEM pathways, this research is a reminder: Don’t front-load mindset work in week one and forget it. Align it with natural learning curves. Better yet—integrate it into how students experience struggle and recovery.
For students: this is permission to stop judging yourself for when you hit your limit. That’s actually the place your mindset begins to grow. It’s not about being smart on day one—it’s about being resilient by week seven.
Reference:
Ng, B. (2020). Growing a Growth Mindset: Characterizing How and Why Undergraduate Students’ Mindsets Change.International Journal of STEM Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00226-5