{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T15:17:00Z","timestamp":1788535020961,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Growth mindset is often theorized to energize learning engagement; however, belief rarely translates directly into sustained participation. We, therefore, examined whether a growth mindset fosters engagement by first strengthening perseverance toward long-term goals (grit) and, in turn, consolidating the belief that effort effectively improves ability (effort belief), and whether this motivational pathway depends on perceived teacher support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using cluster sampling, 1,959 primary school students completed measures of growth mindset, learning engagement, grit, effort belief, and perceived teacher support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Growth mindset was positively associated with learning engagement. Both grit and effort belief mediated the association, and the indirect effect through grit, followed by effort belief, was significant. Perceived teacher support moderated the path from growth mindset to grit and the direct path from growth mindset to learning engagement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings support a sequential motivational conversion process: growth mindset\u2192grit\u2192effort belief\u2192learning engagement, and identify perceived teacher support as a boundary condition that strengthens the translation of growth-oriented beliefs into persistent, engaged learning behavior.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1891828","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T14:31:47Z","timestamp":1788532307000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Growth mindset and learning engagement among primary school students: a moderated sequential mediation model via grit and effort belief under perceived teacher support"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Wei","family":"Liang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]},{"name":"Hunan First Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huarong","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]},{"name":"School of Humanities and Management, Ningxia Medical University","place":["Yinchuan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lingyi","family":"Peng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]},{"name":"Hunan First Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Youzhi","family":"Liang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"China Central Academy of Fine Arts","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Song","family":"Tong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bay Area School of Applied Psychological Sciences, Beijing Normal University","place":["Zhuhai, China"]},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pan","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University","place":["Changsha, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control","author":"Bandura","year":"1997"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x","article-title":"Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: a longitudinal study and an intervention","volume":"78","author":"Blackwell","year":"2007","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10074","DOI":"10.1007\/s11218-025-10074-0","article-title":"Teacher support as a context of growth mindset in predicting reading achievement","volume":"28","author":"Cai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Educ."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5281\/zenodo.10536382","article-title":"Forecasting the impact of disruptive events on student learning: a Bayesian causal model","volume":"16","author":"Cai","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Educational Data Mining"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"3","volume-title":"Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications","author":"Carver","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref9001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1374071","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1374071","article-title":"The roles of teacher and parental support on adolescent cyber-bystander behaviors: A path analysis","volume":"15","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref6","volume-title":"Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in human Behavior","author":"Deci","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1087","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.92.6.1087","article-title":"Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals","volume":"92","author":"Duckworth","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref9002","volume-title":"Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development","author":"Dweck","year":"1999"},{"key":"ref8","volume-title":"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success","author":"Dweck","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.95.2.256","article-title":"A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality","volume":"95","author":"Dweck","year":"1988","journal-title":"Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1177\/1745691618804166","article-title":"Mindsets: a view from two eras","volume":"14","author":"Dweck","year":"2019","journal-title":"Perspect. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x","article-title":"Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence","volume":"21","author":"Eccles","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Res. Adolesc."},{"key":"ref9003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153","article-title":"Motivational beliefs, values, and goals","volume":"53","author":"Eccles","year":"2002","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Psychol."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"618","DOI":"10.16128\/j.cnki.1005-3611.2008.06.023","article-title":"Research on reliability and validity of Utrecht work engagement scale-student","volume":"16","author":"Fang","year":"2008","journal-title":"Chin. J. Clin. Psych."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.3102\/00346543074001059","article-title":"School engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence","volume":"74","author":"Fredricks","year":"2004","journal-title":"Rev. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002","article-title":"Student engagement, context, and adjustment: addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues","volume":"43","author":"Fredricks","year":"2016","journal-title":"Learn. Instr."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.95.1.148","article-title":"Sense of relatedness as a factor in children's academic engagement and performance","volume":"95","author":"Furrer","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1111\/cdev.12955","article-title":"The origins of children's growth and fixed mindsets: new research and a new proposal","volume":"11","author":"Haimovitz","year":"2017","journal-title":"Child Dev. Perspect."},{"key":"ref17","volume-title":"Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach","author":"Hayes","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref9004","first-page":"294","article-title":"Peer group socialization on academic achievement during early adolescence: Moderating effects of perceptions of school climate","volume":"34","author":"Hou","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychol. Dev. Educ."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1514","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2009.01348.x","article-title":"The influence of student perceptions of school climate on socioemotional and academic adjustment: a comparison of Chinese and American adolescents","volume":"80","author":"Jia","year":"2009","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s10212-011-0062-9","article-title":"Testing a motivational model of achievement: how students\u2019 mathematical beliefs and interests are related to their achievement","volume":"27","author":"Jones","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur. J. Psychol. Educ."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2175","DOI":"10.1002\/pits.22583","article-title":"Growth of fixed mindset from elementary to middle school: its relationship with trajectories of academic behavior engagement and academic achievement","volume":"58","author":"Kim","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychol. Sch."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"694","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cedpsych.2008.01.005","article-title":"Is effort praise motivational? The role of beliefs in the effort\u2013ability relationship","volume":"33","author":"Lam","year":"2008","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-023-04249-1","article-title":"The relationship between a positive parenting style and Chinese adolescents\u2019 academic grit: a parallel mediating model","volume":"43","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lindif.2017.08.007","article-title":"Decremental mindsets and achievement motivation: an extended framework of implicit theories of intelligence","volume":"59","author":"Lou","year":"2017","journal-title":"Learn. Individ. Differ."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000352","article-title":"Do growth mindset interventions impact students\u2019 academic achievement? A systematic review and meta-analysis with recommendations for best practices. Psychological bulletin","volume":"149","author":"Macnamara","year":"2022","journal-title":"Psychol Bull"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.1037\/edu0000153","article-title":"How true is grit? Assessing its relations to high school and college students\u2019 personality characteristics, self-regulation, engagement, and achievement","volume":"109","author":"Muenks","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"Mindsets, attitudes and learning: Exploring their connections among students. OECD Education Policy Perspectives, No. 133. Paris: OECD Publishing","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref9005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1595422","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1595422","article-title":"The impact of growth mindset on subjective wellbeing in elementary school students: A moderated mediation model","volume":"16","author":"Peng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref9006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"ref28","volume-title":"Handbook of Research on Student Engagement","author":"Pianta","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref29","first-page":"365","volume-title":"Handbook of Research on Student Engagement","author":"Reeve","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.55.1.68","article-title":"Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being","volume":"55","author":"Ryan","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"ref31","volume-title":"Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness","author":"Ryan","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18858","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-022-03045-7","article-title":"The effect of teacher support on academic engagement: the mediating role of L2 grit","volume":"42","author":"Sadoughi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1015630930326","article-title":"The measurement of engagement and burnout: a two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach","volume":"3","author":"Schaufeli","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797617739704","article-title":"To what extent and under which circumstances are growth mind-sets important to academic achievement? Two meta-analyses","volume":"29","author":"Sisk","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref35","volume-title":"Handbookofself-determinationresearch","author":"Skinner","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref27","first-page":"92","volume-title":"Social participation in secondary school: The relation to teacher-student interaction, student characteristics and class-related variables. Soc. Psychol. Educ.","author":"Sch\u00fcrer","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1080\/01443410.2022.2033168","article-title":"Perceived teacher support, student engagement, and academic achievement: a meta-analysis","volume":"42","author":"Tao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1007\/s11218-014-9281-7","article-title":"The pivotal role of effort beliefs in mediating implicit theories of intelligence and achievement goals and academic motivations","volume":"18","author":"Tempelaar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Educ."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cedpsych.2022.102127","article-title":"Students\u2019 growth mindset: relation to teacher beliefs, teaching practices, and school climate","volume":"72","author":"Theis","year":"2022","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e12745","DOI":"10.1111\/sode.12745","article-title":"A meta-analysis of the association between teacher support and school engagement","volume":"33","author":"Vargas-Madriz","year":"2024","journal-title":"Soc. Dev."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1177\/0734282916674858","article-title":"Psychometric assessment of the short grit scale among Chinese adolescents","volume":"36","author":"Wang","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Psychoeduc. Assess."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"512","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-022-04907-7","article-title":"A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress","volume":"607","author":"Yeager","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"364","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-019-1466-y","article-title":"A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement","volume":"573","author":"Yeager","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101619","DOI":"10.1016\/j.learninstruc.2022.101619","article-title":"How grit shapes effort belief: the mediating role of goal commitment","volume":"80","author":"Zeng","year":"2022","journal-title":"Learn. Instr."},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.16842\/j.cnki.issn2095-5588.2024.02.003","article-title":"Relationship between growth mindset and learning engagement in adolescents: the chain mediating effect of grit and life satisfaction","volume":"12","author":"Zhao","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Psychol"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"845769","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.845769","article-title":"Development and validation of a Coping Strategies Scale for use in Chinese contexts","volume":"13","author":"Zhao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1891828\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T14:31:53Z","timestamp":1788532313000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1891828\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"references-count":51,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1891828"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1891828","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"article-number":"1891828"}}