Data Sheet 1_Social belonging and academic mindset affect student performance in an introductory biology course at a two-year college.pdf

Results revealed a time-specific recursive pattern between performance and belonging: early-semester belonging did not predict midterm performance, but midterm scores predicted late-semester belonging, which subsequently predicted final exam outcomes. Early-semester academic mindset also contributed modestly to performance, with entity beliefs negatively predicting both midterm and final exam scores and incremental beliefs positively predicting midterm performance.

Exploratory analyses further indicated that sense of belonging and entity mindset each explained unique variance in final exam performance after accounting for academic preparation.</p>Discussion<p>Together, these findings suggest that social belonging and academic mindset represent complementary affective factors associated with student success and that students' perceptions of belonging may become increasingly important following evaluative feedback.

These results extend prior findings from chemistry and physics to introductory biology. They also highlight the potential value of instructional practices that promote supportive feedback, adaptive study strategies, and fostering inclusive, growth-oriented learning environments may help students interpret academic challenges productively and support positive belonging trajectories.</p>