Educational psychology asks a simple question: how does learning happen and what can teachers and students do to make learning better? This field takes ideas from science, motivation research and everyday classroom practice. Often the best ideas go against what we feel is natural. For example re-reading notes and highlighting might seem useful. Research says otherwise. Retrieval practice is an approach. It means pulling information out of memory by quizzing of just reviewing. Studies in classrooms and in labs show that retrieval practice works well. A recent meta-analysis found that retrieval practice helps students in school and high school more than it does for college students. It also shows that quizzes help learning more when they count toward a grade. The practical lesson is clear: testing oneself is one of the effective ways to study learning.
Motivation is the part of the story and this is where the field has had a lot of public debate. Growth mindset theory says that students who believe their abilities can change will do better than those who think their abilities are fixed. The idea spread quickly through schools. A more careful look has emerged. A 2023 meta-analysis of 63 studies involving 98,000 students found major problems in how the studies were designed and reported. It also found signs of bias, such as reported effects from authors who had a financial stake in positive results. Another analysis of than 300 studies showed that colorful growth-mindset posters will not solve education’s problems. A popular theory can still be. Good teachers should ask what the evidence really shows.
Student using effective study techniques, including memory recall and active learning.
It would be a mistake to abandon the idea however. Defenders say that the real claim of growth mindset theory is modest. Schools can help students lean toward a growth mindset often and that can increase motivation and learning for some students. One meta-analysis found that teaching students about how the brain changes as they learn – a concept called neuroplasticity – does tend to build growth mindsets. The mindset of teachers also matters. A meta-analysis of 50 studies covering 19,600 participants found small to typical positive links between teachers’ growth mindset and their motivation in terms of self-efficacy and mastery goals. Together the picture shows real promise, not a miracle cure. The quality of how the idea’s implemented makes most of the difference.
For students, teachers and parents the main takeaway is to stay evidence-minded. Use retrieval practice by closing the book and testing oneself. Praise effort and strategy but do not expect a slogan to replace teaching. Treat any study, even a headline-grabbing meta-analysis as just one piece of a larger puzzle. As one commentator notes a single meta-analysis should not end the discussion of a theory that has been studied for than 40 years. Educational psychology is best when it mixes curiosity about how learning works with scepticism about quick fixes. That habit is also good, for learners.
Sources drawn on: Psychological Bulletin meta-analysis of growth mindset interventions (2023); Bardach et al., meta-analysis on teachers’ growth mindset (Educational Psychology Review); Learning & the Brain blog posts on mindset research and retrieval practice. Check the original papers before citing them formally.