Project Title and Abstract

Unpacking the Between-Site Heterogeneity of the Mediation Mechanism in the NSLM

Previous research on the National Study of Learning Mindset has revealed between-school heterogeneity in the impact of growth mindset interventions on students’ academic outcomes. Assessing the between-school variation in the causal mechanisms may generate important information for unpacking and understanding the heterogeneity in the total intervention impact. However, this line of research has largely been constrained by existing analytic tools. By applying the novel statistical methods that my colleagues and I developed, I will test whether growth mindset interventions promoted students’ GPA at the end of the 9th grade by enhancing their motivation and how the mediation mechanism varied from school to school. The findings may reveal a need to revisit the intervention theory and may suggest school-specific modifications of the intervention practice.