A Growth Mindset Curriculum Improves Academic Resilience and GPA Among Middle School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study investigates growth mindset curriculum effects on academic resilience, effort attribution, and GPA in middle school students within the context of educational psychology and positive youth development, an area of growing scientific importance given its implications for school-based social-emotional learning program design and academic support targeting for at-risk students. Using randomized controlled trial with cluster randomization at classroom level and 8-week growth mindset curriculum intervention, we examine belief change from fixed to incremental theory of intelligence enabling persistent effort following academic setbacks in 342 students (171 intervention, 171 wait-list control) across 18 classrooms in 4 schools drawn from four urban Title I middle schools in Phoenix Unified School District. Results indicate that the 8-week growth mindset curriculum increases end-of-semester GPA by 0.31 grade points (95% CI 0.18-0.44) and academic resilience scores by 0.48 SD, with effects largest in lowest-quartile baseline performers (p = 0.001), with 0.31 grade point GPA improvement as the primary quantitative benchmark. Concordance between primary and confirmatory measurement approaches exceeded 93%, validating the analytical framework. These findings contribute empirically to educational psychology and positive youth development and carry actionable implications for the design of programs and policies targeting school-based social-emotional learning program design and academic support targeting for at-risk students.