The Effect of Activities Designed According to the Incremental Self-theory on 7th Grade Students' Growth Mindset, Academic Achievement and Motivation

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of the activities designed to the incremental self-theory for the 7th grade science lesson cell and divisions unit on the students' growth mindset, academic achievement and motivations of for learning science. For this purpose, a research was conducted with 54 seventh grade students studying in two branches in a public secondary school in Kastamonu Province, Turkey in the fall semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. With simple random sample selection, one of these branches was determined as the experimental group (N=27) and the other as the control group (N=27). While the cell and divisions unit was explained to the students in the control group according to the 2018 Science Curriculum, the same subjects were explained to the students in the experimental group by supporting them with activities designed to the incremental self-theory in addition to the current curriculum. In the research carried out on the basis of quantitative research approach, a semi-experimental pattern with pre-test-post-test control group was used. In the collection of quantitative data; mindset scale, cell and divisions unit achievement test and motivation scale for learning science were used. The data obtained were analyzed with the help of SPSS package program. In line with the findings obtained through the analysis of the data obtained in the research, it was observed that the activities designed according to the incremental self-theory increased the students' level of growth mindset. In addition, it was determined that the academic achievement and motivation of the experimental group students were higher than the control group, so that the applied activities had an effect on increasing the academic achievement and motivation of the students for the cell and divisions unit. It is possible to fill this gap in the literature by doing more studies on incremental self-theory, which has been found to be limited in the national literature and has not yet been studied in the field of science.