INFLUENCE OF LEARNERS’ MINDSETS ON PUPILS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

IN MATHEMATICS IN ILORIN SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ABSTRACT

The study examined the influence of learners’ mindsets on pupil’s academic performance in
mathematics in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara state. Two research questions and
one hypothesis were raised to guide the study. The instrument used for the collection of data was
a questionnaire and the results of this study were analyzed using statistical package for social
sciences (SPSS 23.0). The population of study was based on five selected primary schools both
public and private in Ilorin south, Kwara state where 30 pupils were randomly selected for the
sample. This gave a total number of 150 participants. The instrument used for data collection
was a questionnaire. The results of the findings revealed that primary school pupils in Ilorin
South Local Government have strong and positive mindset towards mathematics as a subject;
there is moderate level of performance in mathematics among basic school pupils in Ilorin South
Local Government Area, Kwara state; there is significant relationship between mindset and
pupils’ academic performance in mathematics in Ilorin South Local Government Area . It was
recommended amongst others that teachers should encourage pupils to believe that their abilities
can be developed through effort and perservance; positive reinforcement should be provided for
pupils see that their hard work and dedication are valued, regardless of whether they succeed
immediately; instructions should be tailored to meet individual needs of pupils as pupils have
varying levels of mathematical readiness.
Keywords: Influence, Learners mindsets, academic performance, Mathematics, Pupils.

INTRODUCTION

Research on self- theories in education has gained momentum in recent years. One of the
commonly studied self-theory as being mindset. They were proposed by Dweck (2014) regarding
the malleability of individual's qualities such as intelligence and personality. Dweck (2014)
suggests that these non-cognitive variables can drastically change the way individual handle a
learning situation, the degree of effort and persistance they display, and eventually their level of
achievement. Dweck and Yeager (2019) helped build the concept of theories of intelligence, also
known as mindsets, as a Powerful Psychological Construct. Mindsets are based on two basic
assumptions that people maintain about their intelligent capabilities: while Some think that
intellectual abilities are unchangeable (fixed mindset), others believe that their capabilities can be
improved through practice and instruction ( growth mindset).

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Mathematical mindsets are based on two assumption about mathematical intelligence. People
either think they have a 'fixed mathematical mindset' in which their capability about mathematics
can be developed with practice or instruction (Daly 2019). Many pupils experience fear and
aversion to learning math’s, perhaps more than any other subject in school. These emotional
experiences have a marked impact on pupils' performance and achievement, because by stoking
their anxiety and sense of low ability in mathematics, they hinder these pupils' ability to release
their personal potential.

According to Boaler and Dweck, 2016, the single belief that mathematics is a " gift" that some
people have and others do not is responsible for much of the widespread mathematics failure
and underachievement. Pupils’ beliefs about their academic ability influence their academic
performance. If pupils are going to invest their effort and energy in school, it is important that
they first believe the effort will pay off. Research shows that pupils’ belief in their ability to
learn and perform well in school—their self-efficacy—can predict their level of academic
performance above and beyond their measured level of ability and prior performance.

A “fixed mindset” is when a child believes and rely on their innate intelligence and skills. The
child considers intelligence, talents, personalities and skills as fixed traits that cannot grow; they
are just born with them. That’s why people with a fixed mindset are unable to improve their
abilities. Fixed-mindset pupils tend to avoid challenges and give up to avoid failure. They see
challenges and mistakes as threats instead of opportunities to grow. They also take criticism
personally and sometimes adopt a defensive attitude toward teachers’ feedback. These
individuals do not enjoy the process, but rather focus on the end goal. Even worse, they tend to
look down on their peers leaving no room for collaboration and classroom bonding. They
remain secluded in their own fragile glass box of limited potential. A fixed mindset negatively
affects academic performance holding pupils back from trying new things and being ambitious
and open to knowledge. On the contrary, a “growth mindset” is an open space of boundless
opportunities where one’s basic qualities are cultivated and improved through hard work and
determination.

Growth-mindset people believe in the power of change and self-development through learning.
They seek challenges to experiment with and use failure as an opportunity for growth. Similarly,
students with a growth mindset, are inspired by new things and acquire broad and well-rounded

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knowledge. They take the teachers’ feedback as constructive and apply it in practice. With a
growth mindset, pupils have the motivation to work and share knowledge. Interestingly, they
show decreased levels of anxiety and can handle deadlines more efficiently. These pupils are
communicative and sociable, active team players within the classroom space.

Pupils view intelligence as a fixed quantity that they either possess or do not possess (a fixed
mindset) or as a malleable quantity that can be increased with effort and learning (a growth
mindset). Pupils with a fixed mindset believe that their intellectual ability is a limited entity,
and they tend to worry about proving it rather than improving it. They are often full of concerns
about their ability, and this can lead, in the face of challenges and setbacks, to destructive
thoughts, feelings (such as humiliation), and behavior (giving up). By contrast, pupils with a
growth mindset will often perceive the identical challenge or setback in an entirely different
light—as an opportunity to learn. As a result, they respond with constructive thoughts, feelings
(such as the excitement of a challenge), and behavior (persistence). This mindset allows pupils
to transcend momentary setbacks to focus on long-term learning.

Academic performance in Primary school determines whether the pupils will proceed to
secondary or be able to secure a solid foundation. Pupils’ performance also determines quality
of education that will be passing to the pupils by the potential teachers at Nursery school. Poor
performance in Primary Education spells doom for the pupils whose life becomes uncertain and
full of misery. Pupils’ academic performance is affected by several factors which include
pupils’ learning skills, parental background, peer influence, teachers’ quality, learning
infrastructure among others. Government efforts to improve academic performance have led to
series of interventions like scholarship, training of the teachers, providing of infrastructure and
so on. The performance of pupils is crucial in producing high-quality graduates who will serve
as outstanding leaders and personnel for the country, and thus be accountable for its economic
and social progress (Ali, et al., 2009).

All of the trends discussed regarding mathematics are more marked for females than for males,
both in Nigeria and in many other countries. Gender differences seem to increase as pupils'
progress through school. For everybody, pupils and teachers, it is important to become aware of
the impact of their mindset and of its possibilities and challenges (Dweck ,2014) .With this

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awareness, in combination with relatively small social psychological intervention, It has been
found that teachers can encourage pupils to adopt a growth mindset (Yeager & Walton ,2011).
If pupils believe that they can be smarter and that hardwork can help them with this, then they
are more willing to exercise (Dweck, 2014).

However, Mathematics is eminently a subject where mindset plays an important role. On the
other hand, the discipline is highly regarded in our society and it is often associated with
something you are good at or not. Good grades for mathematics are seen as a clear proof for
being intelligent. And parents compare the results of their children quickly with their own
school experience and, unconsciously, emphasize the perspective of being either good or bad in
it unluckily all these aspects foster a fixed mindset. On the pupil’s frustration when they do not
see the solution right away.

Objectives of the Study

This study therefore specifically, sought to:
 Find out the Pupils Mindset towards Mathematics.
 Examine the Academic Performance of Pupils in Mathematics.
 Determine the Influence of Pupils Mindset on their Academic Performance in
Mathematics.
Research Questions
The following research are formulated to guide the conduct of this study:
1. What is the pupil’s mindset towards Mathematics?
2. What is the academic performance of pupils in Mathematics?
3. What is the influence of pupil’s mindset on their academic performance in mathematics?

METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Descriptive research design of the cross-sectional survey type was adopted for the study. The
sampling techniques was simple random sampling which were used to select 5 primary schools.
Subsequently, a sample random sampling was used to select One Hundred and Fifty (150)
primary six pupils randomly from the five schools selected for the study. Thirty (30) pupils
were chosen from each school.

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Instrumentation
The researcher adapted the rating scale influence of learners' mindsets on pupil’s academic
performance in mathematics. It is of two (2) categories with respect to age group (3-4 and 4-5
years). The instrument for both groups consisted of two (2) sections A and B. Section A,
focused on the demographic details of the respondents which include information on gender,
age of the pupils and class of the pupils. Sub- sections of the rating scale instruments were
developed along these dimensions: Section B segment of the instrument have responses that
were designed in a two-point Likert-type rating scale of Yes a n d N o . The validity of the
rating scale was subjected to validity and usability standardization processes by the lecturers in
the Department for correction on the face and content of the instrument. The use of frequency
count, percentages, for the demographic data; mean and standard deviation was used for
answering the research questions using the SPSS version 23.

RESULTS

Research Question 1: What is the pupils’ mind-set towards mathematics in basic schools in
Ilorin South LGA?

Table 1: Mean and Standard Deviation showing pupils’ mind-set towards mathematics in
basic schools.
S/N ITEMS X SD Remarks

1. Do you believe that mathematics skills can improve with efforts 2.12 0.32 Yes
and practice?
2. Do you enjoy challenging mathematics problems and see them 1.51 0.58 Yes
as opportunities to learn?
3. Do you often seek helps from your teacher or classmates when 2.32 0.28 Yes
you encounter difficulties in mathematics?
4. Do you feel motivated to learn and improve mathematics skills? 1.89 0.45 Yes

5. Do you feel confident in your ability to succeed in 1.64 0.55 Yes

mathematics?

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 6 Is making mistakes a normal part of learning mathematics and 1.43 0.64 No
helps you understand the concepts better?
7 Do you regularly practice mathematics outside of school hours 1.38 0.65 No
to reinforce your learning?
8 Do you often find mathematics interesting and enjoyable? 1.68 0.52 Yes

9 Do you believe that everyone has the potential to become good 2.01 0.32 Yes
at mathematics if they work hard enough?
10 Do you believe that your mathematics skills are fixed and 1.32 0.69 No
cannot be significantly improve?

Weighted 1.73
Mean
Table 1 above revealed the pupils’ mind-set towards mathematics in basic schools in
Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State. The evidence from the pupil’s response was
seen from the table above from the mean value of all the items which are greater than 1.5 except
items 6, 7, 10 which are less than 1.5. This were all ranked 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively in
accordance with their mean values from the highest to the least. The overall mean value of 1.73
which is greater than the cut-off means of 1.50 indicated that primary school pupils in Ilorin
South Local Government Area have strong and positive mind-set towards mathematics as a
subject.
Research Question 2: What is the level of pupils’ academic performance in mathematics basic
school schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area?
Table 2: Summary of the level of pupils’ performance in mathematics in basic school
schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area.
Ranges f % Remarks
49 – 63 22 14.7% Low
64 – 77 73 48.7% Moderate
78 – 91 55 36.6% High
The above table revealed that 22 (14.7%) of the total response showed low level of performance,
73 (48.7%) of the total response showed moderate level of performance, while 55 (36.6%) of the
total response showed high level of performance. This revealed that majority (48.7%) of the
responses from the pupils showed that there is moderate level of performance in mathematics.

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This implies that there is moderate level of performance in mathematics among basic school
pupils in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State.

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Table 3: Summary table of showing the significant relationship between pupils’ mind-set
and their academic performance in mathematics
Variable Mind-set Performance
Mind-set Pearson Correlation 1 .74
Sig. (2-tailed) .02
N 150 150
Performance Pearson Correlation .74 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .02
N 150 150
Table 3 above showed the significant relationship between pupils’ mind-set and their academic
performance in mathematics. The table above revealed that there is relationship between mind-
set and pupils’ academic performance in mathematics. This was evident by the correlation value
of 0.74 obtained. This correlation value shows that there is high relationship between mind-set
and pupils’ academic performance in mathematics, and the relationship is positive. Also, the sig
value of 0.02 obtained which is less than the Alpha value of 0.05 revealed that there is significant
relationship between mind-set and pupils’ academic performance in mathematics. Therefore, the
hypothesis above which stated that there is no significant relationship between mind-set and
pupils’ academic performance in mathematics in Ilorin South Local Government Area is hereby
rejected.
Discussion
The purpose of the study was to investigates the influence of learners' mindsets on pupil’s
academic performance in mathematics a case study of Ilorin South Local Government Area
Kwara State., Finding revealed that primary schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area
have strong and positive mind-set towards mathematics. Pupils of Ilorin South Local
Government Area primary schools believe in their abilities to learn and excel in mathematics ,
they also embrace their mistakes that is they learn from their mistakes and also they don't
hesitate to ask for help when they are stuck on mathematics problem further study shows that if
pupils believe that they can be smarter and that handwork can help them with this, they were
more willing to exercise (Dweck, 2014). This process has a lot in common with ' self-efficacy'
that Hattie (2018) is using in his work. Hattie emphasizes the strong correlation between self-
efficacy (the confidence that pupils have in themselves and that can make their learning happen)
and pupils’ performance.

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 Also, findings revealed that there is moderate level of performance in mathematics among
basic schools pupils in Ilorin South Local Government Area, the level of pupils' performance is
neither high or low and this can be as result of thus; the effectiveness of the mathematics
teachers which can bring about the significantly impact in the pupils' performance, a well-
designed curriculum can also help pupils grasp mathematical concepts effectively, a supportive
home environment where parents encourage and assist with mathematics homework further
study show that highly educated parents tend to have more stimulating learning environments
(Von Stumm and Chamorro- Premuzic, 2015) , some pupils may have specific learning
disabilities that affect their mathematics performance so when teachers identify and address
these issues through special education services can help, accessibility to resources like
textbooks, technology and tutoring can make significant difference in mathematics performance
and lastly, the pupil's own effort and motivation play a critical role in pupil's academic
performance this was supported by Dweck & Leggett (1998) that state that individuals with
performance goal orientations are also more vulnerable to helpless responses. This finding
revealed that majority (48.7%) of the responses from the pupils showed that there is moderate
level of performance in mathematics further study around the world the performance of pupils
is measured by academic performance index.

Another finding revealed that there is significant relationship between mind-set and pupils'
academic performance in mathematics in Ilorin South Local Government Area, this research
result revealed that there is relationship between mindset and pupils' academic performance in
mathematics, this was evident by correlation value of 0.74 obtained. This correlation value
shows that there is high relationship between mindset and pupils' academic performance in
mathematics, and the relationship is positive further study shows this concept is often associated
with the work of psychologist Carol Dweck and has been studied in educational psychology.
Developing a growth mindset can lead to increased motivation, resilience, and ultimately better
academic outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study concluded that work has succeeded in revealing that there is positive
relationship between mindset and pupils performance in mathematics in Ilorin South Local
Government Area, It can be concluded that the mindset of learners plays a pivotal role in

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shaping pupils' academic performance in mathematics through the finding of this study, It can
be concluded that a positive mindset can significantly enhance pupils' abilities to excel in
mathematics, It has been concluded that when pupils believe that their effort and dedication can
lead to improvement , they are likely to persist through challenges, take risks, and engage
deeply with mathematical concepts. It is well concluded teachers can help pupils not only
perform vetter in mathematics but also develop a lasting passion for mathematics.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is therefore recommended that:

1. Teachers should encourage pupils to believe that their abilities can be developed
through effort and perseverance.
2. Positive reinforcement should be provided for pupils see that their hard work and
dedication are valued, regardless of whether they succeed immediately.
3. Instructions should be tailored to meet individual needs of pupils as pupils have varying
levels of mathematical readiness.

REFERENCES

Ali, N.., Jusof, K.., Ali, S.., Mokhtar, N.., & Salamat, A.S.A (2009). The Factors Influencing
Pupils’ Performance.

Boaler, J (2019). Mathematical Mindsets, Jossey Bass.

Boaler, J., and Dweck C. S (2016). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Pupils’ potiential
through Creative Mathematics.
Daly, I., (2019). Mathematical Mindsets Increase Student Motivation: Evidence from the EEG
Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 15, 18 - 28.
Dweck & Leggett. 1998 Teaching a Growth mindset' at Young minds.
Dweck, C S ,& Yeager , D. ( 2019) Global Mindset initiative Introduction: Envisioning the
Future of Growth Mindset Research in Education.
Dweck, C.S, (2014) Mindset and Maths Achievement Carnegie Corporation.
Hattie (2018). The Origins of Childrens' Growth and fixed mindsets: New research and a
new proposal. Child development, 88, 1849- 1859
Von Stum & Chamorro- Premuzie, (2015). Growth mindset and learning about Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion

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Yeager D. S., Dweck C. S. (2020). What can be learned from growth mindset
controversies? American Psychologist, 75(9), 1269–1284.

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