"But It Doesn't Come Naturally": How Effort Expenditure Shapes the Benefit of Growth Mindset on Women's Sense of Intellectual Belonging in Computing

Research suggests growth mindset, or the belief that knowledge is acquired through effort, may enhance women's sense of belonging in male-dominated disciplines, like computing. However, other research indicates women who spend a great deal of time and energy in technical fields experience a low...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computer science education 2017-10, Vol.27 (3-4), p.215-228
Main Authors: Stout, Jane G, Blaney, Jennifer M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Persistence
Attitude Measures
Competence
Computer Science
Computing time
Correlation
Females
Gender Differences
Grade Point Average
Hypothesis Testing
Intention
Knowledge acquisition
Males
Motivation
Self Esteem
Sex Stereotypes
Statistical Analysis
STEM Education
Student Attitudes
Student Surveys
Study Habits
Women
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Summary:Research suggests growth mindset, or the belief that knowledge is acquired through effort, may enhance women's sense of belonging in male-dominated disciplines, like computing. However, other research indicates women who spend a great deal of time and energy in technical fields experience a low sense of belonging. The current study assessed the benefits of a growth mindset on women's (and men's) sense of intellectual belonging in computing, accounting for the amount of time and effort dedicated to academics. We define "intellectual belonging" as the sense that one is believed to be a competent member of the community. Whereas a stronger growth mindset was associated with stronger intellectual belonging for men, a growth mindset only boosted women's intellectual belonging when they did not work hard on academics. Our findings suggest, paradoxically, women may not benefit from a growth mindset in computing when they exert a lot of effort.
ISSN:0899-3408
1744-5175
DOI:10.1080/08993408.2018.1437115