Reframing Students’ Negative Conceptions of Failure: An Action Research

Abstract

The fear of academic failure can compound other challenges that students are already facing in their lives, and this can take a toll on their mental and emotional states, their relationships with others, and their learning capacities. This article presents findings of an action research that was carried out with 35 postgraduate students from two classes, with aims to reframe their conception of fear of failure as valuable lesson opportunities, by means of getting them to participate in experiential and purposeful activities in a safe learning space. It aims to see if these students would have become less fearful of failures by Week 15. In addition to sharing personal anecdotes of failure, students were given challenging class work, reminded of failure-success catch-phrases, given honest and critical (but compassionate) feedback of their performance. The collected data include students’ fear of failure index scores, pre (Week 1) and post (Week 15) intervention course feedback of their fear of failure. The analysis shows that the methods seem to have a positive effect in mitigating fears of failure, however, the research also shows some caveats and variables that can inhibit the facilitation and the effectiveness of the pedagogical methods. It is hoped this research can also aid other educators in improving and innovating their pedagogy practices, in order to help students reframe their conceptions of failure.
 
 Keywords: Action research, experiential learning, fear of failure, reframing beliefs, safe learning space
 
 Cite as: Yoong, D., & Saffari, N. (2019). Reframing students’ negative conceptions of failure: An action research. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(2), 126-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss2pp126-143