A Critical Review of Grit Scales for Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers

Lester Lou B. Segumpan^1, and Dennis B. Roble¹

¹College of Science and Technology Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Cite this paper:
Lester Lou B. Segumpan and Dennis B. Roble. A Critical Review of Grit Scales for Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers. Journal of Innovations in Teaching and Learning. 2025; 5(1):26-34. doi: 10.12691/jitl-5-1-5

Abstract

Grit has gained much attention lately as a determinant of an individual's success, both academically and professionally. While research on grit is in great length among various populations and scopes, the study of grit within the context of mathematics pre-service teachers has remained relatively unexplored. This review aims to evaluate existing grit scales and their applicability to mathematics pre-service teachers by analyzing their psychometric soundness and contextual relevance. Using predefined inclusion criteria, 19 studies were selected from databases including Google Scholar, SCOPUS, ERIC, and Web of Science spanning 17 years. Most scales follow standard psychometric procedures, but they are general in scope and insensitive to the unique cognitive, emotional, and instructional challenges of mathematics teaching. Recent multidimensional models bring into importance new dimensions like flexibility and cognitively oriented focus, but heterogeneities and methodological loopholes like insufficient application of item-level analysis, measurement invariance, and longitudinal methods still exist. Both cultural and demographic issues affect grit expression, thus strengthening the use of contextually and culturally sensitive measures. No scale yet takes into account the distinct difficulties involved in being mathematics pre-service teachers. This review supports the utilization of a discipline-specific, psychometrically solid MPT-Grit Scale as a way of bolstering teacher education and teacher resilience in math teaching.

Keywords:
grit grit scale mathematics pre-service teachers teacher grit scale teacher grit psychometric validity

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