Cultural differences in mindset beliefs regarding mathematics learning

Students typically have varying beliefs regarding the changeability of their own abilities in mathematics learning. A growth mindset is the belief that mathematics abilities can be developed, whereas a fixed mindset is the belief that mathematics abilities are unchangeable. Recent studies have highlighted that mindset beliefs regarding mathematics learning vary across cultures. This review summarizes cultural variations in students’ self-reported mindset beliefs, and how culture influences the roles of mindset beliefs in mathematics-learning outcomes, the development of mindset beliefs, and the effects of mindset interventions. Finally, we propose that future research should consider culture-specific factors in the development and measurement of students’ growth mindsets.