Navigating the Second Year Slump: Mindsets and Learning Strategies of Biomedical Science Students

Abstract

The ‘Second Year Slump’ is a recognised phenomenon affecting undergraduate students’ engagement, motivation, and self-perception. Students' ‘mindset’ (self-beliefs about their abilities) can influence learning behaviours. Students with a growth mindset may be more prepared for second-year as they believe they can improve their ability through effort and learning. As this mindset promotes adaptive learning behaviours, it was postulated that these students may deploy more deep learning strategies. We examined the relationship between mindset, learning strategies and performance in second-year biomedical science students (n=256). Through thematic analysis of open-ended questions, we determined students’ mindsets and learning strategies. Qualitative themes were then quantified to determine frequencies. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between mindsets, learning strategies and performance. Nearly two-thirds of students held a growth mindset about their biomedical science ability. While students reported a diverse range of strategies, no relationship was found between mindsets and learning strategies. Despite this, growth mindset students achieved higher academic performance than students of other mindsets. Second-year biomedical science students may be growth-oriented; however, their use of learning strategies may be more complex than this study could fully capture. Targeted support may be required to ensure students can effectively apply strategies in this period.