Growth Mindset in Educational Psychology: Between Conceptual Promise and Pedagogical Misuse

Marini Abd Razak; Hamidah Mohamad

doi:10.56741/IISTR.bei.002303

Authors

Marini Abd Razak
marini@unirazak.edu.my
Universiti Tun Abdul Razak https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5677-9168
Hamidah Mohamad Universiti Tun Abdul Razak https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5261-2303

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56741/IISTR.bei.002303

Keywords:

critical perspective, educational psychology, growth mindset, learning theory, motivation, resilience

Abstract

Growth mindset has been widely embraced in educational psychology as a construct that promotes motivation, resilience, and academic persistence. However, its rapid diffusion into educational practice has been accompanied by conceptual dilution and pedagogical misuse. This opinion article critically examines the contemporary deployment of growth mindset in educational settings, arguing that it has increasingly been reduced to a motivational slogan detached from instructional quality, assessment systems, and institutional responsibility. Drawing on educational psychology and learning sciences literature, the article problematizes individualistic and decontextualized interpretations of growth mindset and highlights the risks of moralizing effort while obscuring structural inequities. Rather than rejecting the construct, this paper calls for a critical re-engagement with growth mindset as a theoretically grounded, context-sensitive, and pedagogically accountable framework. The article contributes to ongoing debates in educational psychology by questioning prevailing assumptions and urging a more rigorous conceptualization of growth mindset in research and practice.

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Author Biographies

Marini Abd Razak, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak

is an Assistant Professor at the Tun Razak Graduate School, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK), Malaysia. Her academic work focuses on graduate education, research methodology, and interdisciplinary studies in education and social sciences. She is actively involved in postgraduate teaching, academic supervision, and research collaboration. Her scholarly interests include educational development, higher education, and evidence-based research practices that contribute to academic excellence and institutional capacity building. (email: marini@unirazak.edu.my).

Hamidah Mohamad, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak

is an Assistant Professor and Program Leader at the Tun Razak Graduate School, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK), Malaysia. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the International Islamic University Malaysia. Her research interests include curriculum and instruction, English language studies, communication, and educational policy. She has served as chief editor of international conference proceedings and has published extensively on language education, vocational education, inclusive education, and educational reform. (email: hamidah_mohamad@unirazak.edu.my).

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