Graduation Term

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Mathematics: Mathematics Education

Committee Chair

Tami S. Martin

Committee Member

Amanda L. Cullen

Committee Member

Lydia Kyei-Blankson

Committee Member

Cynthia W. Langrall

Abstract

According to the Center for Community College Student Engagement (2019), many students attending two-year institutions need productive persistence strategies, including the development of a growth mindset. Although some growth mindset interventions have been effective in improving academic achievement among students (Boaler, 2016; Canning et al., 2024) and persistence (Lewis, 2019) among students, especially those with developmental needs (Suh et al., 2019) and those in mathematics, little is known about the experiences of students and teachers (i.e., students’ perceptions of teachers’ intentions and implementation) as teachers work to foster a growth mindset culture (Murphy et al., 2021). In this dissertation, I addressed the following questions: (a) What did a two-year college instructor report about their experiences implementing strategies for fostering a growth mindset culture in their developmental mathematics course? and (b) What did two-year college students report about their experiences while participating in a growth mindset-focused developmental mathematics course? And how did they perceive their instructor’s intentions and behaviors? Mindset theory served as a lens for viewing students’ beliefs about their mathematics abilities, teachers’ beliefs about their students' mathematics abilities, and teacher’s practices and actions in the classroom. The instructor reported beliefs that were consistent with a growth mindset and demonstrated classroom behaviors that were consistent with those beliefs with respect to their intent to create an environment that would engender a growth mindset in their students. The instructor reported some challenges in creating a positive learning environment due to absenteeism and a wide range of student performance levels. Even so, they perceived that students were responsive to their efforts and were satisfied with student outcomes. Overall, a sample of two-year students in the class showed growth in their mindset beliefs and particularly appreciated class activities designed to cultivate a growth mindset. They perceived that their instructor cultivated a positive environment by generating a sense of belonging and showing students that she was confident in their abilities when they faced challenging tasks. Interestingly, even though the instructor aimed to generate the positive feelings that the students reported, the action taken by the instructor were not always the same ones that the students named as contributing to the positive effects such as belonging and developing a sense of agency. Students reported that instructor practices that increased their sense of belonging and inclusion were: (a) exposure to growth mindset knowledge; (b) daily check-ins, getting everyone involved and showing multiple ways to solve problems; (c) additional supports (office hours, online resources, feedback without answers); and (d) providing risk-taking classroom activities.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

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