Effects of positive education intervention on growth mindset and resilience among boarding middle school adolescents in China: a randomized controlled trial

China has a large population of boarding adolescents who face unique stresses such as family separation, adaptation to new environments, and academic and social pressures. Middle school years are particularly sensitive for cognitive, emotional, and social development, making resilience and adaptive coping vital. Positive education, integrating academic learning with well-being practices (e.g., the PERMA model), may bolster adolescents’ growth mindset (the belief that abilities can be developed) and resilience (adaptive recovery from adversity). While positive psychology has grown in China, empirical intervention studies targeting growth mindset and resilience in boarding middle schools are lacking. This study investigates whether a PERMA-based positive education intervention improves growth mindset and resilience among boarding middle school students in China, addressing two questions: (1) Does the intervention improve growth mindset? (2) Does it improve resilience?

The literature highlights that boarding environments can foster community and collaboration but also elevate risks of psychological issues compared to non-boarding peers, including lower life satisfaction and more negative emotions. Prior studies in Chinese boarding contexts report substantial mental health challenges and interpersonal problems, yet few provide effective interventions. Growth mindset theory (Dweck) links beliefs about the malleability of intelligence to motivation, coping with failure, and academic outcomes; mindset interventions can enhance well-being and engagement via resilience. Research in China spans intellectual plasticity and training for teachers/parents but calls for more effective and durable student-focused programs, especially in boarding settings. Resilience is conceptualized as a dynamic adaptive process influenced by individual and environmental factors; although resilience interventions are promising, most target primary-school children, not boarding adolescents who face distinct challenges. Positive education, grounded in positive psychology, aims to cultivate well-being by emphasizing positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement (PERMA). Over 10,000 schools in China reportedly use positive education practices, but more evidence is needed across diverse contexts. Integrating PERMA-based interventions may strengthen intrinsic motivation, mastery, supportive relationships, and resilience. The present study addresses gaps by implementing and evaluating a PERMA-based intervention on growth mindset and resilience among Chinese boarding middle school adolescents, where prior intervention research is minimal.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with two time points (pre-test and post-test), comparing an experimental group receiving a positive education intervention to a control group receiving routine mental health education. Participants: Boarding adolescents (ages 12–16) in Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, China. Inclusion criteria: age 12–16, enrolled in a boarding school, parental/guardian written consent, completed both pre- and post-tests. Exclusion criteria: attending <80% of sessions (<12), disciplinary sanctions, lack of consent. Final sample: N = 167 (Experimental n = 84; Control n = 83). Recruitment and randomization: Multistage random sampling with stratified cluster random sampling by grade (7–9). Six classes randomly selected (fishbowl technique). After consent, participants randomized to experimental or control groups. Pre-tests administered prior to intervention; post-tests after completion. Intervention (Experimental): A 12-week PERMA-based positive education program, 60-minute weekly sessions, including mindfulness meditation, instructional videos, practical activities (e.g., Three Good Things), and reflective writing. Content targeted emotional regulation, well-being, and application of growth mindset strategies. The program adapted and extended elements of prior mindfulness/positive psychology programs to 12 weeks to deepen exploration of growth mindset and resilience, adding mindfulness and reflective activities suited to the boarding school context. Control condition: Routine mental health education per the Special Action Plan to Comprehensively Strengthen and Improve Students' Mental Health in the New Era (2023–2025), delivered via traditional lectures. Instructional time matched the experimental group. Outcome measures: (1) Growth Mindset Scale (Dweck, 2006): 3 items, 6-point Likert (1 = strongly agree to 6 = strongly disagree); reliability in this study α = 0.901. (2) Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25): 25 items, 1–5 scale; α = 0.927. Sample size calculation: Using G*Power (α = 0.05, power = 0.80) indicated a minimum of 128; inflated by 30% for potential nonresponse, yielding a target of 167. Data analysis: SPSS v27. Baseline group comparisons (age, gender, growth mindset, resilience) via independent-samples t-tests. Intervention effects assessed using repeated-measures ANOVA (time: pre vs post) for each outcome. Ethics: Approved by Universiti Putra Malaysia Human Research Ethics Committee (JKEUPM-2023-026). Informed consent obtained from students and parents/guardians; voluntary participation with right to withdraw.

Implementation: All 167 participants completed the study with no missing data (100% compliance); experimental group attended an average of all 12 sessions. Baseline equivalence: No significant pre-test differences between groups. Growth mindset: Experimental M = 32.12 (SD = 6.08) vs Control M = 34.14 (SD = 5.61); t(165) = 0.21, p = 0.68. Resilience: Experimental M = 52.12 (SD = 12.79) vs Control M = 54.67 (SD = 12.78); t(165) = −0.46, p = 0.67. Descriptive pre–post change (overall): Growth mindset increased from M = 2.71 (SD = 1.10) at baseline to M = 3.46 (SD = 0.86) post-intervention; Resilience increased from M = 3.26 (SD = 0.77) to M = 3.80 (SD = 0.62); both p < 0.001. ANOVA results: Significant main effect of time for growth mindset, F(2, 211.07) = 65.36, p < 0.001, multivariate η² = 0.96 (large). Significant main effect of time for resilience, F(2, 160.57) = 33.19, p < 0.001, multivariate η² = 0.21 (moderate). The intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control, with resilience notably higher relative to control post-intervention. Overall: The 12-week PERMA-based intervention significantly improved both growth mindset and resilience among boarding adolescents compared to routine mental health education.

The study addressed its research questions by demonstrating that a PERMA-based positive education intervention can significantly enhance both growth mindset and resilience among boarding middle school students. The large effect on growth mindset suggests substantial shifts in students’ beliefs about learning and ability development, while moderate effects on resilience indicate stronger coping and adaptation skills. These findings reinforce theoretical assertions that positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement foster adaptive cognitive and emotional patterns. Compared with mixed findings in some prior non-boarding or different cultural contexts, the strong effects here may reflect the context-specific design (e.g., goal-setting, mindfulness, reflective writing) and the boarding school environment’s suitability for structured, communal well-being programs. Practically, results support integrating positive education as a proactive alternative or complement to traditional mental health education in boarding schools, with promise for improving student well-being and academic engagement. The study underscores the value of culturally tailored interventions and suggests scalability and cost-effectiveness of a 12-week program. Future work should probe mechanisms of change and assess sustainability with longer-term follow-ups and broader ecological measures.

A 12-week PERMA-based positive education intervention significantly improved growth mindset and resilience among Chinese boarding middle school students, whereas routine mental health education did not. The findings validate the application of positive education to promote key psychological attributes critical for adolescents’ academic and personal development in boarding contexts. Future research should include longitudinal follow-ups to test durability of effects, expand sampling across regions and school types, and incorporate ecological measures of resilience (family, school, community) and qualitative methods to elucidate mechanisms and contextual factors influencing outcomes.

Generalizability is limited by the single-region Chinese boarding school sample. The absence of delayed follow-up restricts conclusions about long-term effects. Resilience measurement focused primarily on individual traits, not broader ecological influences (family, school, community). Analyses included only participants who completed both time points, potentially introducing completion bias.