Measuring and profiling growth language mindsets, conscientiousness, and social emotional learning among university L2 learners: a variable- and person-centered perspective

Schools have a responsibility to support students' social and emotional growth. The present study aims to apply the variable-centered approach to showcase the contribution of growth language mindsets and conscientiousness to social and emotional learning (SEL). Then, this study utilises the person-centered approach to profile homogeneous individuals based on their shared characteristics of language mindsets and conscientiousness, and examines how the generated profiles differ quantitatively in terms of SEL. Questionnaire data were collected with a valid sample of 606 university foreign language (L2) learners. Structural equation modelling (SEM), latent profile analysis (LPA), and univariate tests of variance (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. Results showed that growth language mindsets on intelligence, aptitude, and age as well as conscientiousness all positively predicted the four dimensions of SEL. Additionally, this study found that participants exhibited three different profiles: Profile 1 (30%, N = 180, low level of both growth language mindsets and conscientiousness), Profile 2 (45%, N = 271, moderate level of both growth language mindsets and conscientiousness), and Profile 3 (25%, N = 152, high levels of both growth language mindsets and conscientiousness). These profiles were significantly different in terms of the four dimensions of SEL. Pedagogical implications are discussed.