A Scoping Review of Research on Teachers' Mindsets in English Language Teaching Contexts
Published online on July 11, 2026
Abstract
["European Journal of Education, Volume 61, Issue 3, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nMindset research has contributed to a growing body of literature in English language education, especially research on teachers' mindsets in recent years. Despite this, a comprehensive view to advance this line of research is lacking. This scoping review aims to map past research on teachers' mindsets in English language teaching contexts, identify gaps, and provide future research directions. Following PRISMA guidelines, a search query was applied to Scopus, WoS, ProQuest, and ERIC, yielding 1001 records published between 2006 and 2025. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 eligible studies were selected for analysis. Data charting forms and extraction were jointly constructed and discussed by the reviewers. Results indicated an increase in studies from 2022 to 2025, and different approaches were used to study teachers' mindsets. Within Dweck's mindset conceptualization, the studies, however, varied in their domain focus. Several themes were identified, including the influence of teachers' mindsets on their practices, identities, emotions, professional development, and students' motivational outcomes, and their association with subjects and background factors. The review also identifies several significant research gaps and discusses prospects for future research.\n"]