Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
The Changing Pupils’ Mindsets project is testing the theories that children hold about their intelligence, in particular whether it is a ‘fixed entity’ or a ‘malleable’ quality that can be developed. Research with 12-14 year olds in the US has found that those who agreed with the idea that “You can always change how intelligent you are” outperformed those who believed that “You have a certain amount of intelligence and you can’t do much to change it”. Other US research found that mentoring pupils with a Changing Mindsets approach led to improvements in standardised tests. This study is testing a model of changing the way pupils think about themselves and their intelligence. Specifically, the intervention aims to support schools in encouraging “growth mindsets” in their pupils (the belief that intelligence can be developed, rather than being a fixed trait).
Who can participate?
Teachers and Year 6 pupils at primary schools in the South East, South West, Midlands, North East and North West (UK)
What does the study involve?
Participating schools are randomly allocated to either receive the intervention straight away or to carry on with business as usual and receive the intervention two academic terms later. Teachers receive training that introduces them to mindset theory and evidence and provides them with tips for how to embed the approach in their classrooms/schools (e.g. how to communicate incremental beliefs to pupils through feedback/praise). To supplement these suggested changes to everyday practice, teachers are given the materials/training to run an 8-week programme (up 2.5 hours a week) of weekly lessons and activities.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The possible benefits of participation are an increase in growth mindset, increased pupil resilience to challenge and failure in learning, increased pupil attainment (literacy and numeracy), improved pupil self-regulation and self-efficacy. The risks of participating are loss of time spent on other curriculum areas having a negative impact on attainment in those areas. This risk is mitigated by teachers selecting the time of delivery that limits this risk, e.g. delivery coming outside of core curriculum delivery times.
Where is the study run from?
National Institute of Economic and Social Research and University of Portsmouth (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
February 2016 to January 2018
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Cinzia Rienzo
Trial website
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evaluation/projects/changing-mindset-2015/
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Cinzia Rienzo
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5931-8270
Contact details
2 Dean Trench Street
Smith Square
London
Sw1P 3HE
United Kingdom
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Changing mindsets to improve pupil attainment: a randomised trial in schools
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Testing whether teacher-led sessions can encourage pupils to adopt a “growth mindset”
Ethics approval
University of Portsmouth, Science Faculty Ethics Committee (SFEC), 04/02/2016, Ref: SFEC 2016-007
Study design
Interventional school-level cluster randomised controlled trial; the participants are not blinded, but the outcome measurement is
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Cluster randomised trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Condition
Academic performance end of Year 6
Intervention
Treatment: Teachers will receive training that introduces them to mindset theory and evidence and provides them with tips for how to embed the approach in their classrooms/schools. Schools will pay £500 to receive the intervention.
Control: Business as usual and payment of £500 to receive the intervention two academic terms later.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
Literacy and numeracy as measured by the national Key Stage 2 tests at the end of the first year
Secondary outcome measures
Non-cognitive skills, measured through the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich & Van De Groot, 1990), self-efficacy and self-regulation subscales
Overall trial start date
01/02/2016
Overall trial end date
31/01/2018
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
The study comprises primary schools in the South East, South West, Midlands, North East and North West. Within each school, the trial focuses on year 6 pupils.
Recruitment is on a school basis. Inclusion criteria is any school that is:
1. English state primary schools that are able to send their Year 5 and Year 6 teachers to one of up to 20 INSETs in 7 regions across the UK
2. Schools that have not carried out any formal Mindset intervention at the stage of recruitment
3. Schools that have not used a systematic mindsets programme with their Year 6 cohort
4. Schools should also be able to attend one of the training dates provided by Portsmouth
If there is a high degree of interest from schools then schools with a high number of FSM pupils, or schools were there was a significant gap between FSM and non-FSM pupils will be prioritized.
As a condition of being entered into the randomisation schools will need to provide the following:
1. Confirmation that parent opt-out consent forms have been sent out
2. Pupil data form including UPNs for all year 6s
3. Baseline teacher questionnaire
Participant type
Other
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
100 schools, with an estimated 40 students per school
Participant exclusion criteria
1. Independent schools
2. School that have used a systematic mindsets programme with their Year 6 cohort
Recruitment start date
22/02/2016
Recruitment end date
16/06/2016
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
SW1P 3HE
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
University of Portsmouth
PO1 2DY
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Sponsor details
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
Sponsor type
Charity
Website
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Funder name
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
We will publish an Evaluation Report in Spring 2018 (by end of May 2018), which will include the impact estimates for the primary and secondary outcomes. This will be published on the study page of the Education Endowment Foundation website.
Intention to publish date
31/05/2018
Participant level data
Not expected to be available
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary