"Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy

Mohammed Zeinu Hassen

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

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"Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy

Mohammed Zeinu Hassen^*

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 14, Issue 6)

Received: 29 October 2025 Accepted: 10 November 2025 Published: 9 December 2025

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Abstract

This article examines the pervasive discourse of "growth mindset” within higher education, proposing that it functions as a powerful hidden curriculum at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU). While presented as a psychological tool for empowering students, this curriculum may be socializing them with the ideal dispositions for navigating the precarious and demanding 21st-century labor market, particularly the burgeoning tech and gig economy in Ethiopia. Based on a proposed qualitative analysis of course syllabi and interviews with lecturers and students, this article explores how an emphasis on resilience, “productive failure," and radical personal responsibility prepares students to accept instability and constant self-optimization as natural and necessary. The analysis suggests that the growth mindset curriculum fosters three key themes: the glorification of persistence over structural support, the individualization of systemic barriers, and the normalization of continuous adaptation. The article draws parallels between this framework and the historical function of hidden curricula in producing compliant workers for different economic eras. It concludes that while the intentions behind instilling a growth mindset are often positive, its application in this university setting risks operating as a socially conservative force that aligns student psychology with the demands of a neoliberal economy, thereby discouraging critical examination of the systemic causes of inequality and precarity.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 14, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12
Page(s)	179-184
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hidden Curriculum, Growth Mindset, Higher Education, Gig Economy, Neoliberalism, Grit, Educational Sociology

References

[1]	Apple, M. W. (1971). The hidden curriculum and the nature of conflict. Interchange, 2(4), 27-40.
[2]	Cai, Y., Xing, K., & Ge, Q. (2025). Teacher support as a context of growth mindset in predicting reading achievement. Social Psychology of Education, 28, 117.
[3]	Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner.
[4]	Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
[5]	Giroux, H. (1983). Theories of reproduction and resistance in the new sociology of education: A critical analysis. Harvard Educational Review, 53(3), 257-293.
[6]	Kohn, A. (2015). The perils of “grit”. Education Week, 35(03), 28-32.
[7]	McLean, S., & Dixit, J. (2018). The Power of Positive Thinking: A Hidden Curriculum for Precarious Times. Adult Education Quarterly, 68(4), 280-296.
[8]	Meyer, R., Archer, E., & Smit, L. (2025). The Positive Influence of the Hidden Curriculum in Medical Education: A Scoping Review. Medical Science Educator, 35, 1817-1826.
[9]	Noverati, N., Venkatesh, A., Diemer, G., & Martin, A. (2025). Beyond the Scope: The Hidden Curriculum in GI Fellowship and Its Implication for Change. Digestive Diseases and Sciences.
[10]	Valencia-Coronel, B., Silva Rojas, A., Jarry, C., Belmar, F., Vial, M. E., Selman Álvarez, R.,... & Varas, J. (2025). Growth vs. fixed: evaluating the mindset of future surgeons. Global Surgical Education - Journal of the Association for Surgical Education, 4(9), 1-6.
[11]	Woodstock, L. (2007). Think About It: The Misbegotten Promise of Positive Thinking Discourse. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 31(2), 166-189.
[12]	Zhao, S., Du, H., King, R. B., Lin, D., & Chi, P. (2025). Growth mindset of socioeconomic status boosts academic-related outcomes. Social Psychology of Education, 28, 66.
[13]	Bowles, S., & Gintis, H. (1976). Schooling in Capitalist America: Educational Reform and the Contradictions of Economic Life. Basic Books.
[14]	Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Bright-sided: How the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America. Metropolitan Books.
[15]	Foucault, M. (2008). The birth of biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978–1979 (G. Burchell, Trans.). Palgrave Macmillan.

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APA Style

Hassen, M. Z. (2025). "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 14(6), 179-184. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

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ACS Style

Hassen, M. Z. "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2025, 14(6), 179-184. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

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AMA Style

Hassen MZ. "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. Am J Appl Psychol. 2025;14(6):179-184. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12,
  author = {Mohammed Zeinu Hassen},
  title = {"Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {14},
  number = {6},
  pages = {179-184},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20251406.12},
  abstract = {This article examines the pervasive discourse of "growth mindset” within higher education, proposing that it functions as a powerful hidden curriculum at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU). While presented as a psychological tool for empowering students, this curriculum may be socializing them with the ideal dispositions for navigating the precarious and demanding 21st-century labor market, particularly the burgeoning tech and gig economy in Ethiopia. Based on a proposed qualitative analysis of course syllabi and interviews with lecturers and students, this article explores how an emphasis on resilience, “productive failure," and radical personal responsibility prepares students to accept instability and constant self-optimization as natural and necessary. The analysis suggests that the growth mindset curriculum fosters three key themes: the glorification of persistence over structural support, the individualization of systemic barriers, and the normalization of continuous adaptation. The article draws parallels between this framework and the historical function of hidden curricula in producing compliant workers for different economic eras. It concludes that while the intentions behind instilling a growth mindset are often positive, its application in this university setting risks operating as a socially conservative force that aligns student psychology with the demands of a neoliberal economy, thereby discouraging critical examination of the systemic causes of inequality and precarity.},
 year = {2025}
}

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Y1  - 2025/12/09
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Author Information

Mohammed Zeinu Hassen

Department of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0007-7329-2146

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Hassen, M. Z. (2025). "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 14(6), 179-184. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Hassen, M. Z. "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2025, 14(6), 179-184. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Hassen MZ. "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy. Am J Appl Psychol. 2025;14(6):179-184. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12,
  author = {Mohammed Zeinu Hassen},
  title = {"Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {14},
  number = {6},
  pages = {179-184},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20251406.12},
  abstract = {This article examines the pervasive discourse of "growth mindset” within higher education, proposing that it functions as a powerful hidden curriculum at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU). While presented as a psychological tool for empowering students, this curriculum may be socializing them with the ideal dispositions for navigating the precarious and demanding 21st-century labor market, particularly the burgeoning tech and gig economy in Ethiopia. Based on a proposed qualitative analysis of course syllabi and interviews with lecturers and students, this article explores how an emphasis on resilience, “productive failure," and radical personal responsibility prepares students to accept instability and constant self-optimization as natural and necessary. The analysis suggests that the growth mindset curriculum fosters three key themes: the glorification of persistence over structural support, the individualization of systemic barriers, and the normalization of continuous adaptation. The article draws parallels between this framework and the historical function of hidden curricula in producing compliant workers for different economic eras. It concludes that while the intentions behind instilling a growth mindset are often positive, its application in this university setting risks operating as a socially conservative force that aligns student psychology with the demands of a neoliberal economy, thereby discouraging critical examination of the systemic causes of inequality and precarity.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - "Growth Mindset" as a Hidden Curriculum for the Gig Economy
AU  - Mohammed Zeinu Hassen
Y1  - 2025/12/09
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 179
EP  - 184
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20251406.12
AB  - This article examines the pervasive discourse of "growth mindset” within higher education, proposing that it functions as a powerful hidden curriculum at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU). While presented as a psychological tool for empowering students, this curriculum may be socializing them with the ideal dispositions for navigating the precarious and demanding 21st-century labor market, particularly the burgeoning tech and gig economy in Ethiopia. Based on a proposed qualitative analysis of course syllabi and interviews with lecturers and students, this article explores how an emphasis on resilience, “productive failure," and radical personal responsibility prepares students to accept instability and constant self-optimization as natural and necessary. The analysis suggests that the growth mindset curriculum fosters three key themes: the glorification of persistence over structural support, the individualization of systemic barriers, and the normalization of continuous adaptation. The article draws parallels between this framework and the historical function of hidden curricula in producing compliant workers for different economic eras. It concludes that while the intentions behind instilling a growth mindset are often positive, its application in this university setting risks operating as a socially conservative force that aligns student psychology with the demands of a neoliberal economy, thereby discouraging critical examination of the systemic causes of inequality and precarity.
VL  - 14
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download