Research Overview

The "Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset" research program represents a groundbreaking investigation into how targeted psychological interventions can simultaneously enhance academic outcomes, develop essential Fourth Industrial Revolution capabilities, and cultivate institutional graduate attributes in engineering education. This multi-faceted research examines a unique well-being intervention that integrates multiple psychological resources—Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO)—alongside Grit and Growth Mindset development.

Through rigorous multi-method evaluation approaches combining quantitative outcomes analysis and qualitative thematic analysis of student testimonials across multiple cohorts, this research reveals how psychological resource development serves as a foundational approach that addresses multiple educational goals simultaneously. The findings demonstrate significant impacts on academic success while uncovering substantial secondary benefits for developing VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) capabilities and institutional graduate attribute cultivation.

The research challenges traditional boundaries between well-being support, professional preparation, and academic achievement, providing empirical evidence for integrated approaches to holistic student development in engineering education.

Integrated Psychological Resources

Develops Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, Grit, and Growth Mindset through a comprehensive, scaffolded approach that creates synergistic effects beyond single-construct interventions.

VUCA Capabilities Development

Cultivates skills essential for navigating volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments through adaptive mindset development, complexity management, and forward-focused orientation.

Graduate Attributes Integration

Demonstrates substantial alignment with Stellenbosch University's graduate attributes, particularly in developing enquiring minds, engaged citizenship, and dynamic professionalism.

Transfer Mechanisms

Identifies key mechanisms through which psychological resource development creates transferable capabilities: reflective practice, experiential learning, and community of practice formation.

Conference Presentation

Dr. Alten du Plessis presents the comprehensive findings of the Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset research program, demonstrating how integrated psychological interventions create transformational learning experiences that enhance academic success and personal development.

Duration: Conference presentation format

This presentation reveals how integrated psychological resource development creates transformational learning experiences that extend beyond traditional academic support interventions.

Research Publications

Measuring Impact: Quantitative Outcomes of the Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset Course

Published Conference Proceedings EduLearn 2025 Statistical Analysis Palma, Spain

This published conference paper presents the quantitative evaluation of the Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset course, examining statistical significance of improvements in academic performance, psychological well-being measures, and behavioral indicators across multiple cohorts. This is the paper that forms the foundation for the accompanying video presentation.

Key Innovation: The study provides robust empirical evidence for the intervention's effectiveness across diverse student populations, demonstrating consistent positive effects through rigorous statistical methodologies.

Cultivating Psychological Resources for Academic Success: The Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset Intervention

Work in Progress Comprehensive Analysis Multi-method Study Multiple Cohorts

This comprehensive study represents the complete in-depth evaluation of the Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset course, combining extensive quantitative analysis with detailed qualitative thematic analysis of student testimonials. The research provides exhaustive documentation of intervention effects, theoretical mechanisms, and transfer pathways that extend beyond traditional academic outcomes.

Key Innovation: This detailed analysis served as the foundational research from which the published conference paper was derived. It identifies four critical transfer mechanisms, documents transformation processes across multiple cohorts, and provides comprehensive evidence for how psychological resource development creates sustainable capabilities.

Cultivating VUCA Skills and Institutional Graduate Attributes Through Well-being Interventions

Work in Progress VUCA Capabilities Graduate Attributes 4IR Readiness

This specialized analysis examines how the Grow a Gritty HERO's Mindset course simultaneously develops skills essential for navigating volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments while cultivating Stellenbosch University's institutional graduate attributes. Through systematic thematic analysis of student testimonials, the research identifies four key areas of development with direct relevance to 4IR professional challenges.

Key Innovation: The study demonstrates how well-being interventions can address multiple institutional goals while preparing students for Fourth Industrial Revolution workplace demands.

Research Status & Intellectual Property

Publication Status: The quantitative outcomes paper has been published in the EduLearn 2025 conference proceedings. The comprehensive evaluation and VUCA skills papers are currently work-in-progress, being refined for journal submission and broader academic distribution.

Intellectual Property: This research represents original work by Dr. Alten du Plessis at Stellenbosch University's Department of Applied Mathematics. All intellectual property rights are reserved.