Grit and Self-Identity: A Contextual Inquiry Into Academic Performance

Research suggests that noncognitive factors are valuable constructs to further understand student performance in higher education. Grit is one such noncognitive factor to garner significant attention, but questions remain regarding its practical utilization. This study furthers the understanding of how grit can be leveraged in such environments in two key ways. First, it compares the model fit of global and school-specific grit assessments. Grit is typically evaluated as a global, rather than domain-specific, construct; this is based on an unexplored assumption that grit does not vary as a function of context. Second, it explores the extent to which student self-conceptualizations within and outside of the classroom facilitate the relationship between grit and academic performance. Implications of this research provide insight regarding the validity of measuring grit in higher education, as well as explore a novel framework to underpin the development of future institutional-level interventions.