I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence

When students feel successful, they tend to be more confident in their capabilities (i.e., higher self-efficacy), which is associated with improved performance, engagement, and self-regulation. Yet, the way in which learners interpret their experiences is less well-understood. Learners’ views of fai...

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Main Authors: Calah J. Ford, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Ellen L. Usher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Education Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/10/1038
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author Calah J. Ford
Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder
Ellen L. Usher
author_facet Calah J. Ford
Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder
Ellen L. Usher
author_sort Calah J. Ford
collection DOAJ
description When students feel successful, they tend to be more confident in their capabilities (i.e., higher self-efficacy), which is associated with improved performance, engagement, and self-regulation. Yet, the way in which learners interpret their experiences is less well-understood. Learners’ views of failure (i.e., failure mindset) are potential lenses through which early adolescent learners perceive and interpret efficacy-relevant information. The relationship between failure mindset and self-efficacy may be particularly important to consider in STEM-related domains like robotics where failure is common. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between young adolescents’ failure mindset and their robotics self-efficacy development. Using mixed methods, we considered how students’ reported failure mindset levels were related to what has made them more or less confident in robotics. We also considered the relationship between failure mindset and robotics self-efficacy. Overall, the findings suggest that early adolescent learners’ failure mindset is related to the efficacy-relevant information they pay attention to in robotics, and, in turn, is associated with their reported robotics self-efficacy. The details of these relationships varied between elementary and middle school students. As there is a social push to normalize failures in educational settings, findings from this study offer an important insight into how students may interpret those failures.
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spelling doaj.art-758d9db3576e4ffc8d6b33fbfb5567b72023-11-19T16:17:16ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-10-011310103810.3390/educsci13101038I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early AdolescenceCalah J. Ford0Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder1Ellen L. Usher2Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0107, USADepartment of STEM Education, College of Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0107, USAMayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USAWhen students feel successful, they tend to be more confident in their capabilities (i.e., higher self-efficacy), which is associated with improved performance, engagement, and self-regulation. Yet, the way in which learners interpret their experiences is less well-understood. Learners’ views of failure (i.e., failure mindset) are potential lenses through which early adolescent learners perceive and interpret efficacy-relevant information. The relationship between failure mindset and self-efficacy may be particularly important to consider in STEM-related domains like robotics where failure is common. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between young adolescents’ failure mindset and their robotics self-efficacy development. Using mixed methods, we considered how students’ reported failure mindset levels were related to what has made them more or less confident in robotics. We also considered the relationship between failure mindset and robotics self-efficacy. Overall, the findings suggest that early adolescent learners’ failure mindset is related to the efficacy-relevant information they pay attention to in robotics, and, in turn, is associated with their reported robotics self-efficacy. The details of these relationships varied between elementary and middle school students. As there is a social push to normalize failures in educational settings, findings from this study offer an important insight into how students may interpret those failures.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/10/1038self-efficacyfailure mindsetearly adolescenceroboticsSTEMinformal learning
spellingShingle Calah J. Ford
Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder
Ellen L. Usher
I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
Education Sciences
self-efficacy
failure mindset
early adolescence
robotics
STEM
informal learning
title I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
title_full I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
title_fullStr I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
title_full_unstemmed I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
title_short I Fail; Therefore, I Can: Failure Mindset and Robotics Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescence
title_sort i fail therefore i can failure mindset and robotics self efficacy in early adolescence
topic self-efficacy
failure mindset
early adolescence
robotics
STEM
informal learning
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/10/1038
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