Exploring the association between growth mindsets and climate action with young people

Rissanen, Inkeri; Kuusisto, Elina; Aarnio-Linnanvuori, Essi; Portus, Rosamund; Williams, Sara-Jayne; Laggan, Sophie; Reilly, Kathy; Vainikainen, Mari-Pauliina

Abstract

Decades of research has demonstrated the power of growth mindsets (i.e. belief in the malleability of the qualities of humans) to shape people’s ways of making sense of their socio-cultural reality and influence their ways of thinking about and acting towards change. Yet, research which connects mindsets with climate action or sustainability behavior remains scarce. This study explores the association between mindsets and climate action among European young people. Our findings, based on statistical analyses of survey data from Tampere (Finland), Genoa (Italy), Galway (Ireland) and Bristol (United Kingdom) (N = 1,814), indicate that growth mindsets about persons and groups are associated with some dimensions of climate action.1 However, the results also showed that the dimensions of climate actions are understood in slightly different ways in different countries, possibly because of contextual differences. Developing and researching locally adapted approaches to cultivate growth mindsets in climate change education is recommended.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 24, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 16, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 18, 2024
• Journal: Social Psychology of Education
• Print ISSN: 1381-2890
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-1928
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 2901-2921
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09937-9
• Keywords: Young people, Value-action gap, Growth mindset, Climate change education, Climate action
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/12690340
• Additional Information: Received: 15 August 2023; Accepted: 24 June 2024; First Online: 16 July 2024; : ; : The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.