Background: Implicit theories are important belief systems that influence an individual's motivation and behaviour. In academic contexts, domain-general implicit theories of ability (e.g., intelligence) and their relation to self-regulated learning (SRL) have been examined. Aims: In this study, we followed a domain-specific approach and first…

Human beings have tremendous potential to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and improve their brains throughout life. By explicitly teaching learners about brain plasticity and malleable intelligence (the idea that they can become functionally smarter through effort) and by modeling and teaching specific learning strategies, teachers can…

Mathematics is a constituent of the education of Engineering students. This paper reports on a study investigating the attitudes and perceptions towards mathematics of first year Engineering students. The sample consisted of 145 freshmen (80 men and 65 women) from one Greek university, derived from three Engineering departments (Mechanical,…

The issues of motivational inclinations, cognitive and meta-cognitive approaches and resource management abilities of university students are considered in predicting academic achievement. First-year university students filled in the Motivated Strategies Learning Questionnaire, completed the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale, answered the…

Previous work examines the relationships between personality traits and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. We replicate and extend previous work to examine how personality may relate to achievement goals, efficacious beliefs, and mindset about intelligence. Approximately 200 undergraduates responded to the survey with a 150 participants replicating…

Associations among children's beliefs about intelligence and effort, goal orientations, self-reported learning strategies, and academic achievement were studied with 319 children in grades 3 through 6. Results revealed a coherent set of beliefs about intelligence and academic performance, and that beliefs are powerful predictors of achievement…

This study tested and extended Dweck's social-cognitive theory of motivation with adults who deliberately chose to face the challenge of returning to school. We examined the relationships among beliefs (implicit theories) on the nature of intelligence, goal orientation, cognitive engagement in learning, and achievement using path analyses.…

Introduction: The distinction between mastery and performance goals has been the dominant theoretical approach to goal orientation study for the past three decades. Recent investigations have begun to provide evidence that further distinctions are necessary. It has also been implied that students' beliefs about the nature of intelligence play a…

It has been suggested that students' belief of whether intelligence is malleable and flexible would affect their purpose of achievement (achievement goals). This might, in turn, influence their learning strategies. The present study examined the above relationships among 194 Grade 7 Chinese students in Hong Kong. Structural equation modeling…