EFFECTS OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS ON GROWTH MINDSET OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS IN CHINESE HIGHER VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Abstract

This study seeks to examine the effect of inquiry-based mathematics instruction on the cultivation of a growth mindset. The research objectives are twofold: (1) to compare growth mindset scores among participants in the experimental group before and after engaging in inquiry-based learning; and (2) to compare growth mindset scores between the experimental and control groups after the experiment. The study involved a total of 358 freshmen enrolled at Jiuquan Polytechnic College. From this cohort, 40 students with baseline growth mindset scores ranging from 30 to 60 were selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group, with 20 students in each. The experimental group underwent structured inquiry-based instruction, while the control group received traditional instruction. Two instruments were employed in this study: (1) an inquiry-based mathematics learning program comprising five sequential phases—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate; and (2) the Growth Mindset Scale, which exhibited strong internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.921). Data analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-test and independent t-test.The research findings revealed the following: 1) the growth mindset of first-year students who participated in the inquiry-based learning program was significantly higher than before experiment at level of 0.001.; 2) the growth mindset of first-year students who participated in the inquiry-based learning program was significantly higher than students who participated in traditional instruction at the 0.001 level.

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