Mind Matters: How is Mindset Correlated with Demographic Variables in Foreign Language Learning?

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between mindset and personal variables of EFL learners at both a private and a state university in Turkey. Quantitative methods were used, and Dweck’s Mindset Instrument (DMI), which was a Likert-scale, was administered to collect a set of data. Three demographic factors namely gender, department of study, and L2 proficiency level were used as variables. The study was conducted at the prepatory school of Gazi University and Atılım University, with 203 participants. The data obtained from the scales were analyzed through both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS Statistics 21.0. The findings revealed that participants’ mindset differed significantly in regard to gender, and female participants tended to have a growth mindset more than male participants. However, no correlation was found between mindset and participants’ department of study. Likewise, it was discovered that mindset and L2 proficiency level of participants were not correlated with each other.