Teacher Identity in Transition: A Growth Mindset Perspective from Pre-Service Mathematics Teaching Practice
Abstract
This study explores how teacher identity is constructed and enacted through a growth mindset perspective in a pre-service mathematics teacher. Recognizing that teacher identity is dynamic and shaped through practice, this research aims to investigating how growth-oriented beliefs are reflected in instructional discourse and classroom interaction. A qualitative case study design was employed, focusing on a pre-service teacher conducting a teaching practicum in a State Senior High School 3 Malang. Data were collected through classroom teaching transcript derived from a recorded lesson on compound interest and analyzed using discourse analysis to identify patterns related to growth mindset and teacher identity. The findings reveal that the teacher demonstrates an emerging growth mindset through effort encouragement, valuing process, normalizing mistakes, and student agency, and challenge orientation. These practices position the teacher as a motivator and facilitator who supports student engagement and confidence. However, the teacher also frequently adopts authoritative and evaluative roles, particularly when emphasizing procedural accuracy and providing direct instruction. This indicates a tension fostering student-centered learning and ensuring correct mathematical understanding. Overall, the study highlights that teacher identity is constructed as a hybrid and transitional process, where growth mindset beliefs coexist with traditional instructional practices. The findings suggest that developing a growth mindset in teaching requires alignment between beliefs and classroom practices. Therefore, teacher professional education programs should support reflective practice to help pre-service teachers integrate growth-oriented principles more consistently in their teaching.
References
Arenas-Peñaloza, J. A., Sarmiento, A. S., Rodríguez-Vásquez, F. M., Ariza-Hernandez, F. J., Rodríguez-Nieto, C. A., Miguel, A., Jiménez, I., Magdalena, U., Marta, S., & Cisnero, I. E. T. C. F. J. (2025). Exploring in-service university teachers’ beliefs about the design of mathematical tasks, 21(8).
Arnesen, K. K., & Rø, K. (2024). The Complexity of Supporting Reasoning in a Mathematics Classroom of Shared Authority. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 26(2), 159–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/10986065.2022.2059628
Barana, A., Marchisio, M., & Sacchet, M. (2021). Education sciences learning environment. Education Sciences, 11(6), 279. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060279
Bardach, L., Bostwick, K. C. P., Fütterer, T., Kopatz, M., Hobbi, D. M., Klassen, R. M., & Pietschnig, J. (2024). A meta-analysis on teachers’ growth mindset. Educational Psychology Review, 36(84), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09925-7
Cabanela, G. P., Maem, M., Pagas, I. J. L., & Español, M. A. D. (2025). Understanding SNED teacher’s beliefs on student growth: A qualitative inquiry based on mindset theory. South Florida Journal of Development, 6(6), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.46932/sfjdv6n6-053
Canning, E. A., White, M., & Davis, W. B. (2024). Growth mindset messages from instructors improve academic performance among first-generation college students. CBE Life Sciences Education, 23(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.23-07-0131
Dong, L., Jia, X., & Fei, Y. (2023). How growth mindset influences mathematics achievements: A study of Chinese middle school students. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1148754. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148754
Dube, C. M., Mncube, D., & Uleanya, C. (2023). Exploring preservice teachers’ classroom management skills during teaching practice: Perspectives of university supervisors. Space and Culture, India, 11(1), 56–67. https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v11i1.1313
Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential. London: Robinson.
Ergan, S. N. (2025). From observation to practice: Tracing the evolution of reflective practice in a pre-service teacher’s journey. Reflective Practice, 26(6), 808–820. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2025.2504094
Faradiba, S. S., Sari, F. K., Alifiani, & Nursit, I. (2025). Can the domino theory revolutionize the approach to algebraic misconceptions in university students? 020008. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0291150
Fu, Y., & Kartal, O. (2023). Developing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and growth mindset for teaching mathematics: Practices from a mathematics methods course. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 25(1), 86–104.
Gombo, M. (2025). The Use of Inquiry-Based Learning Models to Develop STudents’ Critical Thinking Skills in Solving Contextual Mathematics Problems. Afore : Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 4(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.57094/afore.v4i1.2562
Hasibuan, A. M. (2025). Growth mindset orientation in mathematics classrooms: Implications for student engagement. Infinity Journal, 14(1), 55–69. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/infinity.2025.55
Hasibuan, K. (2025). Developing a growth mindset in elementary school teachers: A training guide to enhance deep learning. 2(4), 5251–5260.
Isminingsih, Faradiba, S. S., Setiawan, Y. E., Walida, S. El, & Damayanti, N. W. (2025). Analysis of mathematical reasoning ability through social emotional learning on cylinder. 110015. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0290432
Kusumadewi, T. C., Muhajir, M., Huda, N., & Hanifah, Y. (2026). Contextual media as a strategy to improve students’ conceptual understanding and learning independence. Prisma Sains: Jurnal Pengkajian Ilmu dan Pembelajaran Matematika dan IPA IKIP Mataram, 14(2), 570–584. https://doi.org/10.33394/j-ps.v14i2.20126
Laine, S., & Tirri, K. (2023). Literature review on teachers’ mindsets, growth-oriented practices and why they matter. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1275126
Li, H. (2025). Reflective practice for pre-service teachers’ professional development. SAGE Open, 15(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251363136
Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2020). “Does my teacher believe I can improve?”: The role of meta-lay theories in ESL learners’ mindsets and need satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1417. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01417
Lusiana, R., Andari, T., Elvierayani, R. R., & Huda, S. (2025). Patterns of pre-service mathematics teachers’ scaffolding shaped by students’ error diagnosis. Journal on Mathematics Education, 16(4), 1167–1192. https://doi.org/10.22342/jme.v16i4.pp1167-1192
Lutovac, S. (2020). How failure shapes teacher identities: Pre-service elementary school and mathematics teachers’ narrated possible selves. Teaching and Teacher Education, 94, 103120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103120
Mahmud, M. S., Rosli, R., Maat, S. M., & Mohd, N. F. (2021). Teacher questioning in mathematics teaching: Feedback that stimulates productive teaching. 12(5), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.17762/turcomat.v12i5.804
Maliana, R., Faradiba, S. S., Alifiani, & Dearamae, R. (2025). Expectations versus reality: A case study of metacognitive blindness in mathematics problems. 110004. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0290041
Marcial, J., & Santos, N. M. B. (2025). EFL teachers’ professional identity: A critical discourse analysis. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 27(2), 191–204. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n2.119733
Matthews, A. (2024). Direct/Explicit Instruction and Social Constructivist Practices in The Inclusive Classroom. IN Education, 29(1), 79–102. https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2024.v29i1.738
Mitiche, A. (2024). Redefining professional and academic identities: Turning points in pre-service and novice mathematics teachers’ development of lived experience in and after short-track teacher education. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2417626. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2417626
Morales-Navarro, L., Fields, D. A., & Kafai, Y. B. (2024). Understanding growth mindset practices in an introductory physical computing classroom: High school students’ engagement with debugging by design activities. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.01885
Rissanen, I., Laine, S., Puusepp, I., Kuusisto, E., & Tirri, K. (2021). Implementing and evaluating growth mindset pedagogy – A study of Finnish elementary school teachers. Frontiers in Education, 6, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.753698
Samantray, A., Behera, R. R., & Acharya, A. K. (2024). Effectiveness of ICT-integrated pedagogy on pre-service teachers’ teaching competence in mathematics. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1401188
Stovner, R. B., & Klette, K. (2022). Teacher feedback on procedural skills, conceptual understanding, and mathematical practices: A video study in lower secondary mathematics classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 110, 103593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103593
Sun, K. L. (2021). Teacher-centered instruction and its impact on students’ critical thinking in mathematics classrooms. International Journal of Instruction, 14(4), 789–804. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.14445a
Surya Sari Faradiba, Alifiani, & Nurul Akmal Md Nasir. (2024). The resolution of quadratic inequality problems in mathematics: Discrepancies between thought and action. Infinity Journal, 13(1), 61–82. https://doi.org/10.22460/infinity.v13i1.p61-82
Tan, D., & Levesque-Bristol, C. (2024). Understanding preservice teachers’ intentions to enact autonomy support: The combined perspectives from self-determination theory and mindset theory. Current Psychology, 43, 6939–6953. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04860-2
Torres-Cladera, G., Simó-Gil, N., & Domingo-Peñafiel, L. (2021). Building professional identity during pre-service teacher education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 11, 35–54. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1070
Tuazon, R. G. (2025). Progressivism-based instruction in mathematics: A review of effects on conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, and student attitudes. 3(3), 186–192.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dea Arviolita, Dina Maharini, Dita Susi Evrihatin, Any Herawati, Retno Trisniwati, Surya Sari Faradiba
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Penulis yang menerbitkan karya ilmiahnya di Likhitaprajna setuju dengan ketentuan berikut: manuskrip yang diajukan dan dipublikasikan tetap menjadi hak publikasi penulis dengan karya yang dilisensikan secara bersamaan di bawah Lisensi Internasional Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
