The paper titled "You are the Average of the Five People You Spend Time with: A Case Study on Mindset and Social Networks in the Sultanate of Oman" focuses on the relationship between students' mindsets, academic performance, English proficiency, and the mindsets and proficiencies of their social networks in Oman. The research investigates whether a student's academic success and language proficiency are influenced by the mindset and abilities of their closest peers.
The purpose of the study is to explore how the mindset (growth or fixed) of university students and their social networks correlates with academic outcomes and English proficiency. The study also aims to determine whether the English proficiency of students is affected by their social connections. The scope of the research includes students from Dhofar University in Oman and examines their social interactions in the context of educational achievement and language skills.
The methodology involved analyzing data from 18 primary participants and 90 of their peers, focusing on five close friends from each participant's social network. The research utilized discussions, online surveys, and self-assessments to gauge the mindsets and academic performances of the participants and their peers. The study also cross-referenced some data with academic transcripts to ensure accuracy, although self-reported data was the primary source.
Key findings indicate that an individual's mindset significantly influences their academic performance, with a strong positive correlation between growth mindset and higher academic achievement. The mindset within one's social network can also affect academic success, but the influence varies across different peers. The relationship between participants' English proficiency and their social networks was less conclusive, with only one peer group showing a strong positive correlation, while others had weak or negative correlations.
The study concludes that while an individual's mindset is a critical factor in academic success, the influence of social networks is complex and not uniformly significant. The findings suggest that the commonly held belief that "you are the average of the five people you spend time with" may not fully apply in the Omani context, where social relationships and their impact on academic and language outcomes are shaped by cultural and social factors. The study highlights the need for further research into how digital peer networks might foster a growth mindset and enhance language learning in a global context.