Exploring the Perceptions of Growth: A Grounded Theory Case Study from TÜRKIYE

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào

This study examines students’ perceptions of personal growth by applying growth mindset principles through a grounded theory approach. Qualitative interview data were used to capture beliefs about effort, responses to failure, engagement with feedback, and the malleability of intelligence. A theoretical sampling strategy selected 32 Faculty of Education students across second to fourth years. Results identify four themes: effort-driven development, resilience through failure, openness to feedback, and a dynamic view of intelligence, informing educational teaching and organizational strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

Literature Review

Growth Mindset

Teachers with a Growth Mindset

EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF GROWTH: A GROUNDED THEORY CASE STUDY FROM TÜRKIYE Leyla Yılmaz Fındık Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Hacettepe University, Ankara, T ürkiye e-mail: leylayi[lmazfindik@hacettepe.edu.tr](lmazfindik@hacettepe.edu.tr) ORCID: [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1490-0862](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1490-0862) Abstract. This study examines students'perceptions of personal growth by applying growth mindset principles through a grounded theory approach. Using qualitative data collected from interviews, the research focuses on beliefs about effort, responses to failure, feedback, and the malleability of intelligence. A theoretical sampling strategy, integral to grounded theory methodology, was employed to select 32 students from the Faculty of Education, including 9 second-year, 19 third-year, and 4 fourth-year students. The findings reveal four key themes: Effort-Driven Development, emphasizing the primacy of effort over innate ability; Resilience and Learning from Failure, which highlights failure as an opportunity for growth; Openness to Feedback as a Development Tool, demonstrating the value placed on feedback for self-improvement; and A Dynamic View of Intelligence and Abilities, reflecting a belief in the evolving nature of intelligence. These insights enhance our understanding of how growth mindset principles manifest in educational contexts, offering practical implications for teaching practices and organizational strategies aimed at fostering personal development. Keywords: growth mindset, undergrad students, teacher education, grounded theory 1. INTRODUCTION The concept of a growth mindset , introduced by Carol Dweck (2006) , has garnered widespread attention in educational psychology, management, and developmental fields. A growth mindset refers to the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed over time through effort, learning, and perseverance, as opposed to a fixed mindset , which assumes that these traits are inherent and unchangeable. This distinction has profound implications for personal and professional growth, influencing how individuals respond to challenges, failures, and feedback. As individuals adopt a growth mindset, they are more likely to embrace challenges, persist through difficulties, and view feedback as an opportunity for growth (Dweck, 2006) . Although the benefits of adopting a growth mindset are well-documented in educational settings, particularly with regard to student achievement and motivation (Blackwell et al. , 2007) , there is less empirical research on how undergrad students perceive and internalize growth mindset principles in real-world contexts. Understanding how undergrad students conceptualize effort, failure, and feedback is crucial for developing interventions that foster resilience and a continuous learning mentality in both personal and professional settings. The current study seeks to address this gap by using grounded theory to explore individuals’beliefs regarding personal development and the factors that influence their growth. Literature Review Growth Mindset Dweck (2006) and Zilka et al. (2022) define mindset, also known as implicit theory, as the self-perceptions individuals hold about their intelligence and personality. In general terms, mindset refers to a combination of beliefs, assumptions, and habitual cognitive processes that shape an individual's approach to goal-setting, task performance, learning strategies, and the resolution of professional dilemmas. As such, mindset significantly influences how individuals act and make decisions in various aspects of their personal and professional lives ( Mintchik et al. , 2021a) . Two principal approaches define mindset: (1) the fixed mindset , where abilities, skills, and intelligence are seen as stable and innate traits, and (2) the growth mindset, which emphasizes that these qualities are malleable and can be cultiva

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study explores how undergrad students perceive personal growth when growth mindset principles are applied through a grounded theory approach.

How were participants selected for the grounded theory analysis?

A theoretical sampling strategy was used to select 32 students from the Faculty of Education, including 9 second-year, 19 third-year, and 4 fourth-year students.

What themes emerged from the findings?

Four key themes emerged: effort-driven development, resilience and learning from failure, openness to feedback, and a dynamic view of intelligence and abilities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào