Effects of competition on students' self-efficacy in vicarious learning.
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.


OBJECTIVE
This study compared the effects of competitive and non-competitive classrooms on students' writing self-efficacy when they engaged in vicarious learning.


METHODS
The participants were 71 grade 7 students in Hong Kong.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Chan
Joanne C Y
JC
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. chanchungyan@gmail.com
Lam
Shui-fong
SF
D000293:Adolescent; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students