Pre-service teachers’ language mindset and its impact on the engagement and persistence in their language pedagogical studies : a study conducted in EFL teacher education in Finland

Abstract

In the mindset research field, pre-service teachers’ mindsets are understudied. Their beliefs about the malleability of their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) ability (that it is a predetermined trait – fixed language mindset (FLM), a changeable trait – growth language mindset (GLM) or an intermediate state – mixed language mindset (MLM)), also known as language mindsets are likely to impact the levels of engagement and persistence in their EFL pedagogical studies. This study examines the impact of language mindsets of the pre-service teachers on the engagement and persistence in their EFL pedagogical studies.

A quantitative analysis derived from questionnaire responses of 116 EFL pre-service teachers attending three Finnish universities showed that 6.9% of the participants had FLMs, 19.8% had MLMs and 73.3% had GLMs and the participants with GLMs displayed higher academic engagement and persistence, while those with FLMs exhibited lower academic engagement and persistence. The mere exposure to English or its frequent usage did not significantly promote GLMs. Additionally, FLM holders exhibited lower self-perception regarding their English language skills, indicating uncertainty about their potential.

The findings imply that fostering GLMs among the EFL pre-service teachers could be a promising strategy to enhance their own engagement and persistence in their studies and also to culminate GLMs in their students in future. The study also recommends the use of GLM mediated teacher instruction, feedback and tools for language pre-service teacher training in Finland.