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Effects of competition on students' self‐efficacy in vicarious learning
Author(s) -
Chan Joanne C. Y.,
Lam Shuifong
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1348/000709907x185509
Subject(s) - psychology , competition (biology) , context (archaeology) , self efficacy , observational learning , constructive , social psychology , mathematics education , experiential learning , process (computing) , ecology , paleontology , computer science , biology , operating system
Background Vicarious learning is one of the fundamental sources of self‐efficacy that is frequently employed in educational settings. However, little research has investigated the effects of competition on students' writing self‐efficacy when they engage in vicarious learning. Aim This study compared the effects of competitive and non‐competitive classrooms on students' writing self‐efficacy when they engaged in vicarious learning. Sample The participants were 71 grade 7 students in Hong Kong. Method Using prior writing performance for stratified random sampling, students were assigned either to a competitive or a non‐competitive classroom. Students learned how to compose similes and metaphors in Chinese. Results In the competitive classroom, students' self‐efficacy decreased when they engaged in vicarious learning. In the non‐competitive classroom, students' self‐efficacy did not show a significant change when they engaged in vicarious learning. Conclusion The findings suggested that when students engaged in vicarious learning in a competitive classroom, their self‐efficacy might be threatened. Implications for efforts to design constructive context for vicarious learning are discussed.