Students Who Perceive Instructors to Have a Fixed Mindset Report a Greater Sense of Academic Misfit That Leads to Lower Chemistry Grades.

Student mindset beliefs about the malleability of intelligence have been linked to student outcomes. However, recent meta-analyses showed mixed findings on how student mindset impacts their outcomes depending on the environment and context, such as the mindset that the instructor projects in the classroom. The current work utilizes Social Cognitive Theory to elucidate the relationship among student perceptions of faculty mindset, affective factors (belonging, self-efficacy, and utility value), and behavioral factors (course grade) using a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens within the chemistry context at a demographically diverse institution. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) path analysis revealed that student perceptions of the instructor mindset did not directly predict chemistry course grades. However, a significant indirect effect, mediated by students' sense of academic misfit, was detected. The more students perceived instructors to endorse a fixed mindset, the more academic misfits they reported in their courses, which led to lower chemistry grades. ACT math scores (indicators of prior preparation) unsurprisingly had significant direct and indirect impact on chemistry course grades. Additionally, multigroup moderation analysis revealed that regression pathways did not differ based on race, gender, or age group. While this work highlights the benefit of instructors promoting a healthy learning environment that projects a growth mindset to students, this must be coupled with institutional support to help build foundational knowledge to prepare students for the rigor of chemistry courses and increase the chance of success for all students.