A light-touch mindset intervention benefits the growth mindsets of pre-service teachers and their struggling students

Most growth mindset interventions focus on students, yet teachers' mindsets may be equally important for fostering student motivation and achievement—especially among low-achieving learners. This longitudinal study evaluated a light-touch mindset intervention for pre-service teachers (N = 83) combined with a 12-week tutoring program for students (N = 364). Compared to two control groups, pre-service teachers who received the mindset training maintained their growth mindsets during the tutoring phase, whereas those without mindset training showed a decline. Their students likewise maintained growth beliefs, whereas students tutored by teachers without mindset training also exhibited a decline (d = 0.44). These findings suggest that structured mindset training may be incorporated into teacher education and may help support teachers' professional development and students’ motivational beliefs.