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. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):21513.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-07400-z.

Profiles of growth mindset and grit among rural Chinese students and their associations with math anxiety, motivation, and self-efficacy

Tommy Tanu Wijaya #  1   2 , Xinxin Li #  3   4 , Yiming Cao  5   6
Affiliations

Profiles of growth mindset and grit among rural Chinese students and their associations with math anxiety, motivation, and self-efficacy

Tommy Tanu Wijaya et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Growth mindset, consistency of interest, and perseverance of effort have been demonstrated to positively influence students' mathematical abilities. This study investigates how these characteristics interact and affect non-cognitive skills, enabling mathematics teachers to develop tailored interventions that enhance learning and persistence among rural students. We examined the profiles of growth mindset and Grit among 1495 rural Chinese students from three secondary schools in China, analyzing their relationships with math anxiety, motivation, and self-efficacy in mathematics lessons. Our analysis identified four distinct profiles: Fixed-Oriented Mindset, Lower Tendency Toward Growth, Tendency Toward Growth, and Growth-Oriented Mindset. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in students' mathematics motivation between the Lower Tendency Toward Growth, Tendency Toward Growth, and Growth Mindset profiles. However, increases in mindset are associated with increased math anxiety among rural students. This research offers new insights into the effects of cultivating a growth mindset and Grit on mathematics anxiety among rural students.

Keywords: Consistency of interest; Growth mindset; Math anxiety; Perseverance of effort; Rural area.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Elbow graphs for AIC, BIC, and ABIC in latent profile analysis.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Profile analysis based on z-scores.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Differences in mathematics motivation, efficacy, and mathematics anxiety across four profiles. Note: The blue line represents Mathematics Motivation, the purple line represents Self-Efficacy, and the orange line represents Mathematics Anxiety.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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