Psychosocial Environment and Student Self-Handicapping in Secondary School Mathematics Classes: A cross-national study

• Published in: Educational psychology (Dorchester-on-Thames) Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 499 - 511
• Main Authors: Dorman, Jeffrey P., Adams, Joan E., Ferguson, Janet M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.12.2002; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Academic Ability; Achievement need; Affective behaviour; Australia; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Classroom Environment; Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES); Cross cultural studies; Educational psychology; Educational Research; Expectation; Failure; Fear of success; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Goal orientation; Great Britain; Higher Education; Influences; Mathematics; Mathematics anxiety; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychosocial influences; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Questionnaires; Secondary Education; Secondary school mathematics; Secondary school students; Self Efficacy; Self esteem; Self handicapping pessimism; Student Attitudes; Student Behavior; Student motivation; Surveys; Underachievement; United States; What Is Happening In This Classroom (WIHIC) Questionnaire; Australia; Canada; United Kingdom; United Kingdom (Great Britain); United States; Europe; America; North America; Oceania; Human; Social environment; Academic achievement; Crosscultural study; Self perception; Mathematics; Personality; School environment; Preadolescent; School age; Correlation analysis; Self image; Strategy; Self esteem; Performance; Child
• ISSN: 0144-3410; 1469-5820
• DOI: 10.1080/0144341022000023590

Research investigating the relationship between classroom environment and self-handicapping was conducted in Australian, Canadian and British secondary schools. Perceptions of classroom environment, self-handicapping and academic efficacy were assessed by 3,602 students from 29 schools. Correlation analyses between ten classroom environment scales from the What Is Happening In This Class (WIHIC) questionnaire and the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and self-handicapping were conducted with and without control for academic efficacy. Results showed that classroom environment scales accounted for appreciable proportions of variance in self-handicapping beyond that attributable to academic efficacy. Enhanced affective dimensions of the classroom environment were associated with reduced levels of self-handicapping. Commonality analyses revealed that the WIHIC scales accounted for a much greater proportion of variance in self-handicapping that did the CLES scales.