Believing that practice makes perfect is most important for success at school

Different forms of motivation affect how pupils perform in upper secondary school, a recent NTNU study shows.

“One of the clearest findings in the study is that believing you can improve through practice is the most consistent motivational factor when it comes to grades and experiencing a sense of mastery in academic subjects,” said Birger Olav Sætre.

It is not about being perfect or never facing challenges, but about having a basic understanding that skills can be developed through effort and practice.

Sætre is a research assistant in psychology at NTNU. He is also the general manager and chair of the board at Tenn Gnisten (Ignite the Spark), an organization that studies pupil well-being and how young people can thrive and improve at school. The article has been published in Frontiers in Education.

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Investigated four specific factors

Motivation consists of many different factors. In this study, the researchers focused on four specific aspects:

1. Whether pupils believe they can improve through effort (growth mindset).
2. How much faith they have in their own abilities (self-efficacy).
3. How strongly they want to perform well and remain engaged over time (passion).
4. How much they persevere when something is difficult (grit).

The researchers studied the links between these factors and well-being, perceived mastery, and grades in the subjects of Norwegian and physical education.

Belief that practice makes perfect is most important in physical education and Norwegian

The clearest finding was that pupils who believe they can improve through effort also enjoy their subjects more and perform better at school.

“Having this attitude was important in the subjects of Norwegian and physical education, and was more strongly associated with several outcomes than the other motivational factors we measured,” explained Sætre.

Belief in one’s own abilities was especially important in physical education and was linked to both well-being and experiencing a sense of mastery in the subject.

“This makes sense, since this is a subject where pupils receive clear and immediate feedback on their skills and often draw on experiences from activities outside school,” said Sætre.

Other factors are less important

So, what about the other factors?

Birger Olav Sætre. Photo: Private SHOW MORE

“Pupils who were ambitious and highly focused on performing well often excelled,” said Sætre.

However, this had less impact on the pupils’ outcomes once the other factors were taken into account.

“The same applied to perseverance. It helped somewhat, especially in terms of enjoying Norwegian class, but was less important than we expected in a general school context. At the same time, these factors can play a greater role in activities that pupils have chosen themselves and are passionate about.”

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Gender differences

The researchers also found differences between boys and girls.

“Boys reported having more grit and higher drive to perform, but this did not result in them achieving better grades,” said Sætre.

This shows that the pupils who appear most goal-oriented are not always the ones who perform best academically.

“Girls, however, felt more confident in Norwegian and achieved better grades in this subject,” added Sætre.

Facing challenges can be beneficial

Ultimately, learning success relates to how pupils understand their own development and learning over time. You do not have to be constantly perfect. Facing challenges and making mistakes can be a natural part of learning and developing skills.

“Schools can therefore benefit greatly by helping pupils see that it is always possible to improve and understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process,” concluded Sætre.

Reference: Sætre, Birger Olav; Sigmundsson, Hermundur. The Motivational Predictors and Gender Differences of Academic Outcomes in Upper Secondary Education: Exploring the Role of Growth Mindset, Self-efficacy, Grit and Passion. Front. Educ., 30 January 2026. Sec. Psychology in Education. Volume 11 – 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1708978