Grit, Resilience, Mindset, and Academic Success in Physical Therapist Students: A Cross-Sectional, Multicenter Study.
Marlena Calo, Belinda Judd, Lucy Chipchase and 2 others
PMID 35421232WHAT IT FOUND
Grit predicted academic and clinical success in physical therapy students, while resilience and mindset did not.
Students with low grit were twice as likely to fail clinical placements. Screening for grit before placements may identify students needing support.
Key findings
01Grit was positively correlated with overall academic success and clinical performance, whereas resilience and mindset type showed no significant correlation with these outcomes.
02Students categorized as having low grit were twice as likely to fail a clinical placement compared to those with moderate or high grit.
03In regression models, grit was a significant independent predictor of both overall academic success and clinical performance, alongside specific sociodemographic factors like gender and disability.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that grit causes academic success or that low grit causes failure; it only shows an association. All noncognitive traits were self-reported, which may be influenced by social desirability bias. The correlations found were weak, meaning grit explains only a small portion of the variance in student performance. The sample was limited to final-year students in Australia, so results may not apply to students at other stages or in other countries. The number of LGBTIQ+ participants was very small (n = 9), limiting conclusions about this group's risk of failing placements.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that grit is a strong predictor of clinical success. The correlation was weak (r = 0.22), and the study design cannot prove causation. Low grit is associated with higher risk of failing placements, but it is not the sole or definitive cause of poor performance.