Date
4-2018
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Chair
Ellen Lowrie Black
Keywords
growth mindset, implicit theories, intelligence, metaphor, teacher mindset transformation, transformative learning theory
Disciplines
Education | Secondary Education
Recommended Citation
Bethge, Judith, "The Power of Transformation: A Grounded Theory Study of Cultivating Teacher Growth Mindset towards Student Intelligence" (2018). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1681.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1681
Abstract
The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study is to explain the process that teachers experience to transform their mindset regarding student intelligence from fixed towards growth, including effective transformation approaches and obstacles. This study focuses on the transformation experiences of 14 teachers in grades 9-12 from schools in the Midwest region of the United States. Dweck’s mindset theory, Wenger’s communities of practice, Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory guided the conceptual framework for developing a theoretical model to explain the process of teacher mindset transformation. Data collected using Dweck’s Mindset Instrument, King’s Learning Activities Survey, interviews, and activities including a metaphor tool were analyzed systematically and a model of transformation emerged. Themes of the model include: a moment of realization, experiences including experimenting and reflection, equipping activities, empowerment, application, extending, and a core category of relationships throughout the model. The model is visualized through metaphor. Implications for further research include expanded populations and use of metaphor in grounded theory studies.
