Igniting success: how growth mindset fuels academic achievement through self-belief and strategic effort
- Open Access
- 22.12.2025
- Research
Erschienen in:
Abstract
Introduction and background
With the rapid changes in education systems, achieving better student performance is an important goal for educational institutions. Academic success is an indicator of individual success, and also an essential factor in the development of nations socio-economic status. A major psychological factor of student success is essentially the growth mindset, which refer to the credence that individual abilities and intelligence can be enhanced through dedication and hard work. The practical implications of this concept, most popularized by Dweck [11], in educational psychology and pedagogical studies has found extensive support in those fields. Growth mindset has the power to change a multitude of learning behaviors including, perseverance and self-regulation, academic and personal efficacy [10]. Students in nursing engage in multifaceted and self-directed learning atmospheres. Therefore, in their education these attributes are particularly valuable. Increasing research has revealed that encouraging the growth mindset is concomitant to higher engagement level and improvement of educational outcomes even if the courses are difficult to learn [23].
Even with a growing amount of evidence that growth mindset positively impacts students’ performance [37] there are some unknowns as to how this belief system contribute to promoting student performance in the nursing education sector. Thus far, the research remained largely focused on direct relationship amid academic performance and growth mindset; with little attention to the mediating and linking mechanism (e.g., self-belief, effort regulation) amid this association. With educators and policymakers looking for ways to promote academic resilience in students and boost student performance, it is important to learn how growth mindset works its way through learning processes [19]. Many of the prior studies showed that the growth mindset is linked to improved academic outcomes but how the growth mindset influenced this outcome is yet to be understood. And most specifically, it is needed to investigate how these two factors, such as self-belief, defined as the confidence of a student in being able to succeed and effort regulation, the capacity to manage and preserve effort over time, could explain the connection amid growth mindset and student performance [42]. Further, much of the existing literature happens in Western contexts, and yet there is a considerable paucity of work that investigates the influence of cultural factors in intervention effectiveness on non-Western educational environments like China. This study has implications for the context of nursing education in China, as there is an increasing emphasis on improving educational quality and nursing student performance as part of overall national educational reforms. A growing number of Chinese educational institutions have adopted pedagogical innovations to build self-regulated learning (SRL) and enhance academic performance [44].
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This study is founded on the theoretical base of Mindset Theory and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Theory. Dweck [11]’s Mindset Theory posit that belief of individuals about nature of their abilities—weather fixed or malleable—largely influence their way of going about achievements. This theory is extended in recent studies explaining that learners who have a growth mindset are highly engaged in the adaptive learning behaviors and perseverance [26]. SRL Theory also provide a relevant background for thinking the mediating influence of effort regulation and self-belief. Self-regulated learners are demonstrated to have plans based on their goals, monitoring of progress on this plan, and adjusting strategies based on the received feedback. Research has demonstrated that adoption of a growth mindset enables improvement in self-regulated learning behaviors, ultimately resulting in increased academic performance [3].
This research study endeavors to complement these theoretical perspectives by assimilating them to evaluate the influence of growth mindset on student outcomes in nursing education. The study examines that whether fostering a growth mindset is linked with nursing students’ self-belief and their capability to regulate their effort which, in turn, affects their academic outcomes. Although studies have explored mediation effects linking growth mindset to academic outcomes, most have focused on single mediators such as grit or motivation [7, 46] and have been conducted largely in Western or cross-cultural comparative contexts. By contrast, the present study explores two theoretically different yet complementary mediators (effort regulation and self-belief) simultaneously in the domain of Chinese nursing education. This approach of dual mediation provides holistic comprehension of behavioral and psychological contrivance underpinning the growth mindset as well as also supplement prior research inquiries with integration of Self-Regulated Learning Theory and Mindset Theory in novel circumstances where it may be rarely validated empirically [36]. This research fills a significant gap in the literature by examining these mediation effects in a non-Western nursing educational setting and suggesting pedagogical and policy implications. Explicit objectives of the study are the following:
1.
To investigate the association of growth mindset with nursing student performance in the nursing education context of China.
2.
To observe the mediating influence of self-belief in the link between growth mindset and nursing students’ performance.
3.
To investigate the mediation effect of effort regulation in association amongst growth mindset and nursing student performance.
Our contribution to the emergent body of literature on growth mindset are enriched understandings of the mediating role of self-belief and effort regulation. The research provides culturally specific (focused on Chinese nursing education) insights that are underexplored in the extant literature. These contextualized insights are critical to develop culturally responsive interventions to promote the motivation level and performance of future healthcare professionals. The results have implications for both educational theory and practice in that these suggest targeted interventions based on development of growth mindset and improved strategies for effort regulation. Fostering a growth mindset within nursing education holds particular relevance since the profession emphasize continuous learning, clinical adaptability, and reflective practice. Students in nursing have to regularly navigate complex skill acquisition, emotional challenges, and clinical rotations, therefore, self-belief and effort regulation are critical for their success [33, 35]. Understanding of these psychological mechanisms within nursing academic programs can therefore inform strategies to strengthen students’ academic resilience, clinical competence, and long-term professional development.
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Literature review and hypothesis development
The growth mindset
Empirical research has emphasized growth mindset is an important factor in educational psychology. It is the credence that abilities and intelligence can be advanced via persistence and effort [11]. Research suggests that students with endorsement of a growth mindset cater better with challenges, persevere in facing challenges, and regard effort as a route to mastery [5]. The core of growth mindset theory is that students’ belief regarding the malleability of intelligence shapes a student’s motivation and behavior when learning [9, 17]. This theory has been expanded on by way of study in many different educational settings. For instance, research conducted in Indonesia shows how growth mindset predicts mathematics achievement and also interaction of mindset with cultural contexts [34]. However, despite widespread support for the strength of the relation amongst growth mindset and academic outcomes, there continues to be debate concerning the linking amid academic success and growth mindset in non-Western settings [43], particularly nursing education. Recent meta-analytic findings have revealed that the influence of growth mindset interventions on educational performance are modest and context-dependent, often moderated by cultural, socioeconomic, and institutional factors [21]. Several researchers contend that owing to publication bias or limited cross-cultural sampling, prior research might have overstated the generalizability of outcomes of mindset [32, 37]. Several studies however emphasize that growth mindset interventions may prove effective among students in educational or cultural contexts that are challenging and accentuate perseverance and collective achievement, despite the smaller average effect sizes [46]. Within China’s collectivist learning environment, where effort and diligence are culturally valorized, these nuanced mechanisms warrant specific empirical attention. Little research exists on whether cultural factors or socioeconomic status mediates the effects of mindset interventions, thus more investigation is warranted in diverse educational contexts such as China [6].
Growth mindset and student performance
Growth mindset is the focus of educational interventions that have proven positive linkage with the student performance with several studies already reporting positive association. The result of a topical meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of growth mindset intercessions observed modest but significant improvements in academic performance, mainly among underperforming learners [21, 31]. To improve academic performance, most of these interventions seek to change the attitudes of students about their ability for intelligence [21]. However, the association amid academic success and growth mindset is not prevalent universally. For example, a recent study of university applicants in Europe observed no substantial relationship amid growth mindset and standardized scores, indicating perhaps that the supports of growth mindset are context specific [1]. Likewise, Zhao et al. [45] demonstrate that although a growth mindset improves students’ attitudes toward failure, this is moderated by parents’ attitude toward failure. Given the results reported above are mixed, it is important to continue to explore what contexts and mechanisms relate growth mindset to student performance [46]. Although a few previous studies already suggested that a growth mindset has a very strong correlation to students’ academic performance in higher education, in Chinese nursing educational institutions where cultural beliefs may also relate to students’ attitudes and behaviors, this study further supports this assumption.
H1
Growth Mindset has a substantial positive association with Nursing Student Performance.
The role of self-belief
Self-belief, which is usually theorized as self-efficacy or confidence in individuals’ capability to attain success, is a key psychological aspect that mediates the association amongst growth mindset and academic attainments [45]. ’s Social Cognitive Theory provides theoretical frameworks that attempt to explain that self-beliefs, particularly students’ goals, persistence and resilience, are critical determinants to students’ motivation and performance and their persistence on various goals [4]. Growth mindset interventions often focus on building student self-belief through promoting the belief that abilities can be developed adequately [21]. This mediating role is further supported empirically. For example, Burnette et al. [7] demonstrated that pupils who received interventions related to growth mindset obtained improvements in self-efficacy that, in turn, predicted higher task persistence as well as interest in academics among undergraduates. Limeri et al. [20] recognized an affirmative feedback loop concerning mindset and self-belief where the higher self-efficacy supported growth mindset and therefore improved academic achievements. Yet, some studies have been conflicting, with self-belief having various effects on different populations of students. Growth mindset interventions were observed to be helpful for nontraditional students, however not for other groups of students [12], suggesting differential role for self-belief grounding on preceding learning experiences. Moreover, contemporary scholarship accentuates the need to contextualize mindset interventions with respect to particular cultural circumstances. In Chinese educational pedagogy Confucian values such as respect for learning, perseverance and collective responsibility may result in increased internalization of growth mindset beliefs [2]. This cultural dimension in Chinese context provide theoretical and empirical motive to explore the mediation role of effort regulation and self-belief for this population, contrary to accepting the mindset as universal mechanisms within different contexts [39]. We therefore hypothesize that:
H2
Self-belief has a mediation effect in the association amid Growth Mindset and Nursing Student Performance.
The effect of effort regulation
Effort regulation as a key element of Self-regulated learning encompasses students’ capacity to uphold effort and avoid distractions to successfully attain academic goals [47]. In learning environments that are challenging, prior research has demonstrated that effort regulation strongly predicts academic success of students [3]. Growth mindset interventions enables adaptive attributions to enhance effort regulation in the situation when students consider effort as a crucial element of the learning process not as a sign of failure [18]. Studies that explored the association amid growth mindset and self-regulation have provided significant evidence. For example, research conducted by Parada and Verlhiac [27] exhibited that interventions related to growth mindset augmented most important ingredients of self-regulation i.e., proactive coping strategies and aims of mastery. Likewise, Gopalan and Yeager [13] found that growth mindset impacts academic outcomes through mediating increase in challenge seeking behaviors, the main component of self-regulation. However, more exploration is required to comprehend the exact mediation pathway of effort regulation in the association amid growth mindset and academic performance [38] specifically in the Chinese nursing education settings where cultural conception may dictate students’ self-regulatory behaviors.
H3
The association amid Growth Mindset and Nursing Student Performance is mediated by Effort Regulation.
This literature review makes the case that the proposed relationships between student performance and growth mindset, effort regulation and self-belief are theoretically and empirically warranted. The review plausibly confirms the existence of relationships between the focal variables but also highlight gaps in current literature on these relationships, especially in terms of contextual factors (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1
Conceptual framework
Methodology
A quantitative research methodology was used for this research with a survey strategy to accumulate data. The study is cross sectional as data were collected at one-time point. The nursing education sector of China was investigated by administering the nursing students in a university with a structured questionnaire. This approach is appropriate for testing the relations between variables and is readily applied to the quantification of psychological constructs. The model was assessed through PLS-SEM using SmartPLS 3 software.
Population and sample
This study targeted on the population of undergraduate nursing students in China. Random sampling has been used to select the sample to ensure that every participant has the same opportunity to be sampled. As per statistical power analysis the sample size of 511 students turned out to be sufficient for use of PLS-SEM for purpose of having adequate amount of representation and adequate results. The sampling process was designed to ensure representativeness and minimize bias. A list of all enrolled undergraduate nursing students was obtained from the university registrar, from which participants were selected using a computer-generated simple random sequence. Stratification by academic year was used to maintain proportional representation across cohorts. These steps ensured that the sample reflected the broader nursing student population with respect to gender, age, academic level, and GPA distribution.
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Measures
This study measured four key constructs using the validated scales. The 6 item Mindset Scale developed by Dweck [11], that assessed beliefs about intelligence being malleable, was used to assess the growth mindset. Scoring of the three items for fixed mindset was reversed. The 8 item New General Self-Efficacy Scale (confidence in one’s abilities) adapted from Chen et al. [8] was employed to assess self-belief. The ability of Effort Regulation was assessed using a 4 item Effort Regulation Subscale from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) by Pintrich et al. [28]. CGPA was self-reported cumulative GPA of the student. Except CGPA, all the items were rated on a 1 to 5 points sequential scale. In addition to the primary constructs, gender, age, and academic year were initially examined as potential control variables. However, preliminary correlation analyses indicated that these variables were not significantly associated with the main endogenous constructs (p > 0.05). Thus control variables were not retained in the final PLS-SEM estimation to sustain model parsimony and statistical stability.
Data analysis techniques
Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM which is a powerful multivariate analysis method appropriate for testing complex models [14]. In particular, PLS is appropriate for application in exploratory research contexts, and for predictive modeling and testing hypotheses. Moreover, the study adopted a parallel mediation model, as both mediators (self-belief and effort regulation) were conceptually and empirically distinct constructs expected to operate independently rather than sequentially in influencing performance.
Data analysis and results
The data analysis started with estimation of the measurement model to ensure that it was reliable and valid so that ultimately the structural model could be analyzed for hypothesis testing. Additionally, we checked assumptions of regression analysis and examined common method bias. We also performed mediation analyses to examine the roles of self-belief and effort regulation.
Table 1
Respondents demographics
Demographic Variables | Group | Occurrence | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Gender | Female | 396 | 77 |
Male | 104 | 21 | |
Non-response | 7 | 1 | |
Age (Years) | 18–19 | 132 | 26 |
20–21 | 191 | 37 | |
22–23 | 147 | 29 | |
23–24 | 37 | 7 | |
Non-response | 4 | 1 | |
Academic Year | First | 121 | 24 |
Second | 160 | 31 | |
Third | 133 | 26 | |
Forth | 97 | 19 | |
Cumulative GPA | < 2.00 | 2 | 0 |
2.00-2.50 | 94 | 18 | |
2.51-3.00 | 136 | 27 | |
3.01–3.50 | 153 | 30 | |
3.51-4.00 | 126 | 25 |
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Sample characteristics and demographics
This study used a sample of 511 nursing students which is a large enough diverse representation based on gender, age an academic year. As typical with nursing studies, a higher proportion (77%, n = 396) respondents were female. The majority of participants were 20–21 years old (29%) and 22–23 years old (37%). The respondents represented 24%, 31%, 26%, and 19% for the first, second, third, and fourth year respectively in terms of their academic year. The cumulative GPA of the students ranged from students who had a GPA between 3.01 and 3.50 (30%) and students who had a GPA between 2.51 and 3 (27%). The results of this distribution show a relatively high achieving student cohort with a balanced academic performance (see Table 1).
Assessment of assumptions and common method bias (CMB) and robustness
Among several possible approaches we undertook both procedural and statistical approaches to assess common method bias prior to model evaluation. As procedural measures to prevent or reduce biased responses, we assured participants of anonymity and confidentiality [29]. Statistically, we used Harman’s single factor test, declaring that the first factor only explained 27% of the total variance which was clearly below the 40% threshold, ruling out concerns arising from CMB. On the other hand, we used PLS-SEM using the common latent factor method, and found that CMB was not an issue. We also analyzed the regression model’s assumptions, such as linearity, multicollinearity and normality. No multicollinearity issues were exhibited by the VIF values, which were lower than 3 [14]. Normality was not achieved (measured by skewness and kurtosis), however since PLS-SEM is robust to non-normal data, it was considered suitable for the analysis. To assurance the robustness, the alternative model estimation was performed by bootstrapping procedures with 5,000 resamples to prove the stability of path coefficients and mediation effects. Further, the measurement model was re-evaluated using composite reliability and Dijkstra-Henseler’s rho (ρA) that both were above the 0.70 cut-off. These diagnostics give confidence in the consistency and reliability of the results [14, 15].
Evaluation of measurement model
All constructs were found to have a high level of validity and reliability, which strongly indicates that the scales used in the study were robust. Internal consistency reliability was confirmed with high Cronbach’s alpha (CA) values for each construct: Self-Belief (0.887), Growth Mindset (0.871), Effort Regulation (0.777). For composite reliability, the scores for Growth Mindset, Self-Belief and Effort Regulation were high (i.e. CR > 0.7) with values of 0.90, 0.91, and 0.85 indicating good internal consistency. Convergent validity was demonstrated by average variance extracted (AVE) values above the minimum threshold of 0.5, indicating that the constructs captured sufficient variance: Growth Mindset: 0.56, Self-Belief: 0.56, Effort Regulation: 0.60. All standardized factor loadings for all indicators were highly significant (p < 0.001) and all significantly exceeded the 0.7 benchmark, vacillating from 0.709 to 0.811 for Growth Mindset, from 0.705 to 0.811 for Self-Belief, and from 0.752 to 0.809 for Effort Regulation, indicating strong item reliability (see Table 2; Fig. 2).
Table 2
Constructs validity and reliability
Constructs | Indicators | Loading | T Values | P Values | CA | CR | AVE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Growth Mindset | GMS1 | 0.758 | 29.774 | 0.000 | 0.871 | 0.900 | 0.563 |
GMS2 | 0.784 | 35.340 | 0.000 | ||||
GMS3 | 0.768 | 30.225 | 0.000 | ||||
GMS4 | 0.751 | 27.554 | 0.000 | ||||
GMS5 | 0.757 | 35.412 | 0.000 | ||||
GMS6 | 0.724 | 26.563 | 0.000 | ||||
GMS7 | 0.709 | 25.821 | 0.000 | ||||
Self-Belief | SB1 | 0.722 | 25.087 | 0.000 | 0.887 | 0.910 | 0.559 |
SB2 | 0.705 | 22.565 | 0.000 | ||||
SB3 | 0.711 | 26.339 | 0.000 | ||||
SB4 | 0.708 | 29.253 | 0.000 | ||||
SB5 | 0.750 | 28.855 | 0.000 | ||||
SB6 | 0.763 | 35.309 | 0.000 | ||||
SB7 | 0.811 | 35.795 | 0.000 | ||||
SB8 | 0.804 | 32.835 | 0.000 | ||||
Effort Regulation | ER1 | 0.752 | 29.733 | 0.000 | 0.777 | 0.857 | 0.599 |
ER2 | 0.760 | 28.465 | 0.000 | ||||
ER3 | 0.774 | 31.761 | 0.000 | ||||
ER4 | 0.809 | 37.546 | 0.000 | ||||
Student Performance | CGPA | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
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Fig. 2
Measurement model
Table 3
Discriminant validity
Constructs | Fornell-Larcker Criterion | HTMT Ratios | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
1-Effort Regulation | 0.774 | |||||||
2-Growth Mindset | 0.542 | 0.751 | 0.652 | |||||
3-Self-Belief | 0.540 | 0.584 | 0.748 | 0.642 | 0.657 | |||
4-Student Performance | 0.582 | 0.445 | 0.618 | 1.000 | 0.658 | 0.475 | 0.654 | |
Fornell-Larcker criterion and Heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT) were used to the discriminant validity of the constructs. Based on the Fornell-Larcker criterion, the square root of AVE for each construct was greater than its correlation with other constructs. The values of HTMT ratios fell below 0.85, denoting discriminant validity [15]. The scales used were thus validated as they showed good psychometric properties measured in the measurement model (see Table 3). The measurement model results provide overall confirmation that the constructs are adequate for subsequent structural analysis, having established a solid foundation for hypothesis testing.
Table 4
Structural model results and hypothesis testing
Hypothesis | Paths | β | T Stat | Confidence Interval | R2 | F2 | Q2 | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LL | UL | ||||||||
Total Effects | |||||||||
H1 | GMS→SP | 0.445* | 10.667 | 0.371 | 0.531 | 0.468 | - | 0.452 | Supported |
GMS→SB | 0.584* | 16.970 | 0.516 | 0.649 | 0.341 | 0.517 | 0.176 | ||
GMS→ER | 0.542* | 13.676 | 0.463 | 0.617 | 0.293 | 0.415 | 0.164 | ||
ER→SP | 0.347* | 7.926 | 0.256 | 0.425 | 0.468 | 0.143 | - | ||
SB→SP | 0.425* | 9.549 | 0.339 | 0.509 | 0.468 | 0.200 | - | ||
Specific Indirect Effects | |||||||||
H2 | GMS→SB→SP | 0.248 | 7.879 | 0.190 | 0.319 | 0.468 | - | 0.452 | Supported |
H3 | GMS→ER→SP | 0.188 | 7.171 | 0.136 | 0.239 | 0.468 | - | 0.452 | Supported |
Evaluation of structural model and hypothesis testing
The structural model was appraised by using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 3 software. Assessment of the model fit was done with the value of 0.06 for SRMR, which suggests a good fit. The proposed hypotheses were tested with path coefficients. The path coefficients, t statistics and confidence intervals demonstrated strong predictive validity and strong relationships between study variables. The model accounted for substantial amount of explanatory power, as R2 values indicated that Growth Mindset (GMS) explained 46.8% of the variance in Student Performance (SP). Both self-belief and effort regulation mediated the association of growth mindset with student performance such that the direct effect was not significant. However, our results indicated that growth mindset strongly influence on student performance (β = 0.445, t = 10.667, p < 0.001), with its confidence interval (0.371–0.531) proving that the estimated value was stable and as a result we accept Hypothesis (1) Moreover, the model showed that the effect of growth mindset is strong and positive on self-belief (β = 0.584, t = 16.970) and effort regulation (β = 0.542, t = 13.676), with strong R² values of 0.341 and 0.293 for self-belief and effort regulation respectively, which means that it has a high predictive value. The indirect effects were further analyzed to find that self-belief and effort regulation were key parts of the mediating role amid growth mindset and nursing student performance. The specific indirect effect of growth mindset on student performance through self-belief (β = 0.248, t = 7.879, CI: 0.190–0.319) indicated strong mediation effect, supporting Hypothesis (2) Similarly, the indirect effect of growth mindset on student performance via effort regulation was also statistically significant (β = 0.188, t = 7.171, CI: 0.136–0.239), confirming the mediating role of effort regulation and supporting Hypothesis (3) Self-belief (f2 = 0.517) and effort regulation (f2 = 0.415) had substantial effect size values for the structural model. Furthermore, the predictive significance of the model expressed by Q2 (0.452) showed that the model forecasts the students’ performance quite well (see Table 4; Fig. 3). Taken together, these findings offer powerful support for the hypothesis of a connection amid growth mindset and student achievement based on both self-belief and effort regulation.
Fig. 3
Structural model
Summary of findings
The findings confirmed that growth mindset is positively related with nursing student performance and self-belief and effort regulation are significant mediating factors in advancing academic outcomes. Through evaluation of the measurement model and structural model strong empirical support for the hypothesized associations is observed in the Chinese nursing education settings.
Discussion and conclusions
The results of the study indicated a significant positive association amid nursing students’ academic performance and their growth mindset. This result aligns with prior research which has revealed that greater resilience, effort and persistence of students are associated with malleable views of intelligence and lead to better academic outcomes [9, 24]. The psychological construct of growth mindset is not only positively associated with student performance but it is also favorably related to overall academic achievement across different educational contexts [7]. However, there is an indication that the connection amid growth mindset and student performance can be context dependent. For instance, Correa-Rojas et al. [10] conclude that the association between growth mindset and academic performance could be moderated by differences in educational systems and cultural factors. Nevertheless, in the current enquiry, it is established that growth mindset interventions could be more significantly associated with enhanced academic outcomes with its phenomenon of cultural emphasis on perseverance and self-improvement amplifying growth mindset effects.
The findings confirmed that self-belief could mediate the association amid growth mindset and performance of the nursing students. This finding supports the theoretical framework of Bandura’s [4] Social Cognitive Theory, positing that self-belief (e.g., self-efficacy) is important determinant of motivation and academic achievement. Previous enquiry has revealed that growth mindset interventions are related positively to pupils’ self-belief, resulting in greater persistence and academic achievement [25]. We also observed a positive association amid growth mindset and self-belief in nursing students as reported in recent research by Kristensen et al. [16] that showed when self-efficacy levels were higher, so too were growth mindset related behaviors that lead to improvement in academic outcomes. Nevertheless, Fink et al. [12] discovered growth mindset intervention has greater effect on nontraditional students than traditional students, indicating that previous educational experiences may shape the efficacy of self-belief as a mediator.
Also, the findings have backed a strong mediating association of effort regulation in the connection amid the growth mindset and student performance. This positive indirect association found in this research is congruent with prior research that shows students with growth mindset are additionally inclined to recognize effort as an integral element of learning and self-regulate to achieve academic achievement [30]. Similar to the result from Gopalan and Yeager [13], growth mindset impacts academic outcomes by leading to increased challenge seeking behaviors, motivational aspects of effort, that is, key for effort regulation. Uslu and Durak [38], however, observed that the mediating effect of effort regulation could be contingent on cultural ideas of self-regulation. From nursing education perspective, the strong positive relationship observed in this study suggests that encouraging a growth mindset could become an imperative aspect in improving nursing student performance. Although the constructs of growth mindset, effort regulation and self-belief have been individually examined in previous studies, this research contributes incrementally but meaningfully by situating these mediating processes within a non-Western, discipline-specific educational context.
Unique pedagogical and cultural subtleties are present in Chinese nursing education sector, which obviously play a role to influence how student adopt growth oriented beliefs. Hence, by empirically verifying the integrated model of Mindset Theory and Self-Regulated Learning Theory, the research contributes to the existing mindset scholarship in a context where such mechanisms have yet to be examined [39, 41]. These findings are consistent with international priorities in nursing education that focus on psychological preparedness, flexibility and resilience as key competency areas for sustainable health workforce development. According to World Health Organization’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025, solidification of educational systems to encourage reflective and growth-oriented learners is crucial to improve retention of workforce and enhance quality of care (WHO, 2021). With empirical validation of self-regulation and growth mindset as actionable mechanisms the study complement emergent global dialogue focusing on to equip nursing professionals with cognitive and motivational skills requisite to thrive in complex healthcare environments [33].
In conclusion, in addition to adding to the literature, this study suggests that intervention aimed at the development of self-belief could be most effective in nursing education where significant amounts of self-belief are valued and supported by the culture. Overall, the results provide significant support for the hypothesized relationships amid growth mindset, effort regulation, self-belief, and nursing student performance. Results of the present research help to attain an improved understanding of growth mindset mechanism of academic outcomes and, in particular, the benefit of developing self-belief and effort regulation in nursing education intervention for enhancing the student performance and clinical competence.
Theoretical implications
The study adds to the Mindset Theory and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Theory by using empirical research to identify how growth mindset facilitates nursing student learning through the mediation of self-belief and effort regulation. The discoveries of this research support the Mindset Theory, which indicates that growth mindset improves student performance and hence reinforce the theoretical association among mindset and academic performance. Moreover, the study augments a nuanced understanding of growth based beliefs to promote resilience and perseverance. According to SRL Theory, this study confirms the growth mindset as a motivating factor for the self-regulation process. The results support critical learning behaviors central to SRL theory. They emphasize the role of growth mindset in empowering students to self-regulate their learning and solve problems. Further, the study contributes by bridging Mindset Theory and SRL Theory with explaining specific mechanisms mediating mindset and student performance relationship. In this integrated perspective growth mindset is shown to enhance motivation and promote self-regulatory strategies, expanding both the theoretical and practical knowledge of how mindset interventions can help support sustained improvements in academic performance. While the theoretical advancement of the study is incremental, it empirically demonstrates how the dual application of these theories operates in a non-Western nursing education context, an integration that is rarely ed in combination. With respect to both of these frameworks these findings cultivate cross-cultural generalizability and furnish evidence in support of continual adaptation of mindset related interventions in diverse academic systems [39, 41].
Practical and managerial implications
The outcomes from this study offer practitioners an understanding regarding how growth mindset can be utilized to improve nursing student performance, and educators and leaders of the institutions and policy-makers. Based on these findings, institutions of nursing education can offer growth mindset training as part of student development programs. The findings are promising for educators, communicating the need to foster self-belief of students in order to serve their motivation and persistence. Strategies teachers and academic advisors can use to increase nursing student self-efficacy include: provide constructive feedback, set reasonable goals, and acknowledge that students have made an effort and have improved. Nursing students may develop a more positive self-image toward what they can contribute and be able to perform better academically by moving the emphasis from ability to effort and improvement. Further, academic leaders and policymakers could strive to provide institutional environment conducive to self-regulated learning behaviors. Workshops and seminars where students are provided with effective effort regulation strategies (time management, goal setting, resilience training) can help cultivate the skills needed to sustain academic effort. Specifically, the study results indicated that growth mindset and self-regulation are attitudes that can be developed to improve the academic engagement and persistence of nursing students. Academic settings should provide self-belief coaching and mindset-focused reflections as tools for professional development. This might enable students to reframe learning challenges as opportunities for growth. Additionally, effort regulation training (goal-setting workshops, monitoring progress, reflections on feedback) should be implemented to promote continuous academic effort in demanding nursing curriculum. Strategies like these are supported by contemporary interventions in education that combined development of mindset with self-regulation training to enhance motivation level, academic performance and learning resilience [22, 33]. This implies for policy makers to enact student-centered pedagogical models to sustain adaptive motivation and bespoke learning based on principles of growth mindset.
Limitations and future research directions
Within the context of this research, it is imperative to note some of its limitations. First, the approach taken was cross sectional, and therefore unable to provide a definitive causal relation amongst self-belief, growth mindset, student performance and effort regulation. Therefore, the results should be interpreted as evidence of association rather than direct causation. Second, the psychological constructs and academic performance were assessed with self-reported measures, in which common method bias and social desirability effects may arise. While procedural and statistical procedures were devised to reduce this bias, reliance upon self-reports limits present analysis. Third, the sample is drawn from a single institution in China limiting generalization of the conclusions to varied educational perspectives in non-Chinese or diverse educational systems. Cultural factors specific to Chinese higher education, including emphasis on perseverance and effort, may have contributed to these findings.
Future research ought to relieve these limitations and go further in investigation to understand other parts of growth mindset and how it will affect student performance. The first recommendation is to undertake longitudinal studies to understand how these construct develop over time; these studies would reveal how long lasting the influence of mindset interventions are on academic outcomes. Also examining whether self-belief and effort regulation operate in a sequential rather than purely parallel manner is plausible. Longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to test this sequential mediation to manifest temporal order amid these variables. Second, measures which use several approaches of data assortment such as teacher ratings or objective measures of academic achievement can be constructed to add to the data and can help to alleviate the self-report bias of the measures. Third, in future studies, the geographical and cultural scope of research should be expanded to non-Asian contexts to understand how generalizability of the findings varies and what cultural difference does to the association amid growth mindset and nursing student performance. Besides, another set of mediating and moderating variables, for example emotional intelligence, resilience, or parental influence may also be the focus of research on the mechanisms under which growth mindset affects student outcomes. Fourth, given the increasing adoption of online education, research investigating how digital learning environments moderate this relationship, can inform us about how growth mindset operates in relation to technological factors to affect self-regulated learning behavior. Finally, with the advent of educational technology, future research may leverage adaptive learning platforms and artificial intelligence based interventions in order to implement growth mindset training while personalizing it, and recapitulating mindset and academic performance changes over time.
Acknowledgements
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Declarations
Ethical approval
The study received approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the School of lifelong Education, Henan Institute of Economics and Trade, Zhengzhou 450000, China on September 09, 2024 (Approval ID: HI10HIET029-Z). Researchers followed international ethical standards, including the Nuremberg Code and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring the privacy and security of participant data. The research materials and procedures were independently reviewed and approved by the ethical committee for Research of the affiliated school. Confirming their alignment with these ethical principles.
Informed consent
before data collection commenced in Oct, 2024, was obtained from all participating. Participants were informed that their involvement was voluntary and that they could withdraw from the study at any time. The questionnaire also included a statement clarifying that the collected data would be used only for research purposes. Participants were assured that their anonymity and confidentiality would be strictly maintained, with no personally identifiable information collected. The consent covered their participation in the study, the use of the collected data for research purposes, and permission to publish aggregated findings. All data were de-identified during the collection and processing stages to ensure it was used only for research analysis. The study posed no risks to the participants as it did not involve any interventions.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
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