Running head: COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

Using Competition as a Tool to Initiate Learning in the Classroom

Ira L. Mascardo
Waxahachie Global High School
December 2014

Table of Contents
Abstract... 2

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

Introduction. 3
Types of Competition in the Classroom..3
Figure 1 World Test Graph..3
Negative Side of Competition in the Classroom..............................4
Positive Side of Competition in the Classroom...5
Changing the Way Competition is Viewed 6
Implementing Collaborative Competition in the Classroom...6
Figure 2 PBL vs. LBL Graph...6
Conclusion...7
References....8
Appendix A..9

Abstract

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

Competition has never become so useful until merged it with collaboration. In todays
classroom, there is competition that is either destructive or constructive to students. Competition
is destructive because it can only benefit the winners and puts down the losers. Even then, the
winners are still in a disadvantage. This is because the students either cheated and learned
nothing, or they will have that pressure to win again. Destructive competition can also stifle
creativity. Since the students are only focused on winning, they become mechanical in their
thinking. The students will pull ideas from other sources and discard their own to have a better
grade.
On the other side, competition can be constructive because it can help give students the
drive to succeed, uncover the students hidden talents and strengths, and prepare students for the
highly competitive world. Instead of picking a side, there is an option that satisfies both,
competitive collaboration. Ted Gonder (2010) explains competitive collaboration as not
mutually exclusive forces, and if combined effectively, they produce maximum results.
Competitive collaboration can be implemented in the classroom by introducing the students to
Project Based Learning where they compete against one another while collaborate on helping
each other with tests, quizzes, and homework.

Keywords: collaborative competition, competition, collaboration, project based learning

Introduction

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

Alfie Kohn (1987) stated, But some things arent just bad because theyre done to
excess; some things are inherently destructive. Competition, which simply means that one person
can succeed only if others fail, is one of those things. Its always unnecessary and inappropriate
at school, at play, and at home. Competition in the classroom does not always have to be a
vicious tool to worship the winners and to lower the losers self-esteem. If competition makes
the students learn and lets them see which problems they excel at and which problems other
people are better at, the result could be entirely different from what people believe. This could
merge competition and collaboration all in one. The students could help each other by taking the
problems they got correct and teaching them to the students that scored poorly on those
problems.
Types of Competition in the Classroom
Self-Competition
Linda McFayden, a reading and curriculum coordinator at New Vistas Center for
Education in Chandler, believes that self-competition will foster positive skills such as having
the ability to develop performance under pressure, the ability to be comfortable with the pressure
that the element of time presents, and participating with an internal sense of control and
concentration (McFadyen, 2014). This shows one type of competition, which is selfcompetition.
Destructive Competition
Another type of competition is termed by College Apprentice as destructive
competition. He further explains that to be a destructive competition, only one round should
exist, students compete against each other, a zero-sum condition applies, merit should determine
the winner, and students have at least one direct comparable (College Apprentice, 2013) (See

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

appendix A for more information about zero-sum). In this type of competition, only a few benefit
and even then, they would not benefit a lot from winning because they will lose the incentive to
perform well. The other students will compare themselves and lose the incentive to do better
academically.
Comparative Competition
Comparative competition is another type of competition. Grading is in this category
because teachers have to compare the students scores. Another example is comparing students
grades between countries. This is unfair because the culture and the environment of the students
are different. Some countries are trained for standardized testing, and the culture that makes the
commitment to education
mandatory for success, thus the
test scores are higher than other
countries (See Figure 1 for World
Test Graph).To be categorized as
comparative competition,
multiple rounds may exist,
students compete directly against

Figure 1 World Test Graph

one

another, the outcome of the round is based soley on merit, and students share all comparables
(College Apprentice, 2013).
Collaborative Competition
The last and final type of competition is collaborative competition. Collaborative
competition meets these criterias: multiple rounds exist, students or teams compete against one
another, zero-sum condition may apply, merit and performance should determine the winner. And

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

students have the same task or promp which structures the competition (College Apprentice,
2013).
The Negative Side of Competition in the Classroom
Donald McCabe (Rutgers University), found that 64 percent of students admitted to
cheating on a test, 58 percent admitted to plagiarism and 95 percent said they participated in
some form of cheating, whether it was on a test, plagiarism or copying homework (FACTS &
STATS, n.d.). This is an example of destructive competition, because the students cheated
because they cared enough about their grades to do so. This suggests that the students want to do
better than their peers, so they chose the option that is considered morally wrong to advance
themselves. Alfie Kohn, who is against competition, states that winning does not build character
since it causes the loser self-doubt and lets the winner boast temporarily; Studies have shown
that feelings of self-worth become dependent on external sources of evaluation as a result of
competition: Your value is defined by what youve done. Worseyoure a good person in
proportion to the number of people youve beaten (Kohn, 1987). This is important, because it
defines the society we live in if we continue to popularize the concept of competition. If
competition is popularized, our productivity in the classroom will lower since the people who
experienced many loses will believe only a few people can be excellent and pursue higher
education. That in turn will slow the efficiency of the classroom system if only a few people are
looking forward to pursue higher education.
The Positive Side of Competition in the Classroom
Constructive competition is when students are challenged to give their best or preferably
more than that (Verhoeff, 1997). Dr. Tom Verhoeff also believes competitions have much to
offer in education, are a good measure of how well a discipline is accepted, can be further

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

developed, and that competitions should receive more support and attention from the academic
and industrial worlds and from governments (Verhoeff, 1997). He clearly displays his fondness
of competition and goes as far as stating that he wanted competitions in general to receive more
attention even though competitions are well known. Academic competition can be a good
motivator and challenges students to work harder on their studies and helps them get excited
about academic content (Tucker, n.d.).
Changing the Way Competition is Viewed
Competition is usually viewed as either really harmful for students or helpful to the
students. However, if you place Collaborative Competition in the picture, it satisfies both of the
sides. The side that usually were against competition is mostly pro collaboration. The side that
was for competition with the idea of healthy competition is actually a contradiction in terms
(Kohn, 1987).
Implementing Collaborative Competition in the Classroom
A way to implement collaborative competition in the classroom is to use Project Based
Learning (PBL). This allows the students to work in groups while giving them the chance to
compete with other groups. This method is proven to have better results than Lecture Based
Learning (LBL) with high compliance from the students (See Figure 2 for PBL vs. LBL graph).
Another time consuming way is to let the students collaborate with each other after the teacher
provides giving the answers to a test, quiz, or homework. The students can actively help each
other while the teacher monitors them. This way the students will learn more because they are
teaching. The students are describing an idea to their fellow classmates, and that in turn helps
that student to internalize the information that was just taught. Peer teaching can also help the
one who is teaching have a clearer idea about the subject if they dont get the whole concept yet.

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

Another factor to implementing collaborative competition in the classroom is the willingness and
flexibility of teachers. Creating a collaborative competition environment requires passionate
teachers who care about their students learning. The teachers have to work around the students
and guide them slowly so they
will get used to the collaborative
competition environment.
Conclusion
The key to collaborative
competition is incentivizing
advancement and correction while

Figure 2 PBL vs. LBL Graph

placing an equal weight on process and product (College Apprentice, 2013). Competition and
collaboration can act as one if balanced correctly. The efficiency and productivity will increase in
the classroom, and the students will be more prepared in a job setting. The classroom is the
perfect place to begin because the minds of the students are more moldable and more open
minded than adults. Collaborative competition is a way that students can learn collaborating and
competing, which are two important skills. Students can experiment in balancing these two
skills, and perfect the skill to be competitive yet they collaborate with other people.

References

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

College Apprentice. (2013, January 9). Defining Types of Competition in Education. Retrieved
from College Apprentice Blog: http://blog.collegeapprentice.com/defining-types-ofcompetition-in-education/
FACTS & STATS. (n.d.). Retrieved from What Is Plagiarism?:
http://www.plagiarism.org/resources/facts-and-stats/
Gonder, T. (2010, February 26). Collaborative Competition. Retrieved from moneythink:
http://moneythink.org/blog/collaborative-competition/
Kohn, A. (1987, September). The Case Against Competition. Retrieved from Alfie Kohn:
http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/tcac.htm
McFadyen, L. (2014, September 5). Is academic competition good or bad for students?
Retrieved from azcentral:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/chandler/2014/09/05/academic-competitiongood-or-bad-for-students/15097289/
Tucker, K. (n.d.). Positive & Negative Effects of Competition on Academic Achievement.
Retrieved from Synonym: http://classroom.synonym.com/positive-negative-effectscompetition-academic-achievement-6928.html
Verhoeff, D. T. (1997, November). The Role of Competitions in Education . Retrieved from
International Science Olympiads:
http://olympiads.win.tue.nl/ioi/ioi97/ffutwrld/competit.html
zero-sum. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved from http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/zero-sum

Appendix A

COMPETITION IN THE CLASSROOM

9
Zero-Sum

Zero-sum is defined as relating to, or being a situation (as a game or relationship) in

which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side (Merriam-Websters
online dictionary, n.d.).