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Baylor University.

Secondary educators who create a growth mindset environment : a qualitative descriptive case study.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

In this qualitative descriptive case study, I describe growth mindset's influence on secondary students in an extracurricular learning environment. While some secondary students face challenges such as poverty, lack of motivation, and societal inequities, they can cultivate a growth mindset created by secondary educators in a learning environment. Throughout this study, I discovered secondary teachers' descriptions of students' academic behaviors when incorporating growth mindsets as a pedagogical strategy. Through observation and semi-structured interviews, I obtained robust data from the secondary teachers related to the literature and theoretical framework. I used open coding to analyze the data and triangulation to establish validity while answering the research question. In this study, I found that secondary educators who create a growth mindset environment provide a supportive educational structure for students through skill development and progression. Secondary educators who create a growth mindset environment provide a supportive educational structure for students by growing their courage to lead and their ability to believe. Secondary educators developed student leaders and teams by growing the source of inspiration and the voice to communicate effectively. When educators influence students with the ability to believe through positive and constructive feedback, learners and teams develop by growing systems of practice and relationships of trust. Incorporating the growth mindset principles, results reveal that secondary educators describe students' academic behaviors as integral to maintaining a positive pedagogical outlook. Furthermore, students' demonstration of these academic behaviors is beneficial to teachers. I provide key recommendations, including a strategic plan of an instructional framework for professional learning, communication-organizational pathways and mentorship for educators and collaborative partners. As educators engage in professional learning to establish and sustain growth mindsets, mentoring can develop sustainable, healthy, and nurturing relationships that impact the learning environment. The tiered framework aids a holistic perspective for educators who inspire nurturing and equitable learning developments.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ed.D.
Level thesis:degree_level
Doctoral
Grantor
Baylor University.
Year dc:date.issued
2024

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Johnson, LD, III, 1988-
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Sanguras, Laila Y., 1977-

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13039
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13039

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Baylor University
Base URL
baylor-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Johnson, LD, III, 1988-. Secondary educators who create a growth mindset environment : a qualitative descriptive case study.. Doctoral thesis, Baylor University., 2024. https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13039