Counting One to Overcome Fear: Exploring Science Teachers’ Fear of Failure in Competency-Based Instruction

Abstract

Fluctuating changes in today's world have made educational goals focused on developing the competencies required in real life and nurturing learners according to their potential. The challenge is that teachers need to change their perspectives, beliefs and practices from traditional teaching to organizing active activities to promote the competencies of the learners. This survey research aimed to investigate the fear of failure (FF) of science teachers in competency-based instruction (CBI). The research sample consisted of 55  science teachers at the secondary education level in Samut Songkhram province obtained by simple random sampling. The instrument used in the study was a questionnaire on “Fear of Failure in Competency-Based Instruction for Science Teachers” consisting of closed-ended items using Likert’s scale (Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient = 0.90) and open-ended items. The findings indicated that science teachers had the moderate level of fear of failure in terms of emotion or feelings in the competency-based instruction. The teachers viewed that the learner was an important context for success or failure of competency-based learning instruction. Teachers had the moderate level of fear of failure in terms of specific personal characteristics. Most of them were optimistic in their world view, dared to confront the problems and had readiness for managing competency-based learning. Yet, some teachers acknowledged their failure in managing competency-based learning. This group of researchers suggested that in conducting research studies in the future, the researchers and educators should study guidelines to motivate, or enhance science teacher for reducing FF in CBI through the process of teacher professional development.  By so doing, it is expected that the teachers would increase their understanding of CBI and be able to utilize it in the classroom more efficiently.