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Effects of conformity and learning anxiety on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: the case of Facebook course groups

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of whether learners’ conformity behaviors and learning anxiety can affect their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations when participating in Facebook groups that implement physical classroom courses. This study employs the “conformity scale of students using Facebook course groups”, the “learning anxiety scale”, and the “intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivation scale” as measurement tools on 184 valid questionnaires. In addition, structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the data. Results showed that high conformity exerts a positive impact on both intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivations, while learning anxiety has a negative impact on intrinsic motivation. Finally, the authors provide recommendations based on these results, so that researchers and educators can use them as a reference for future studies.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by the Ministry of Science and Technology/National Science Council in Taiwan under Contract Numbers NSC 100-2511-S-009-012, NSC 101-2511-S-009-010-MY3, and MOST 103-2511-S-009-008-MY2. The authors would like to thank the students who participated in this study, Yih-Lan Liu, Jiun-Yu Wu, and Syh-Jong Jang for their valuable suggestions, and all of the reviewers for their useful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Education, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta-Hsueh Road, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC

    Jerry Chih-Yuan Sun, Yun-Ru Syu & Yu-Yan Lin

Authors
  1. Jerry Chih-Yuan Sun
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  2. Yun-Ru Syu
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  3. Yu-Yan Lin
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Correspondence to Jerry Chih-Yuan Sun.

Appendix: Survey Questionnaire

Appendix: Survey Questionnaire

Second-order factor

First-order factor

Observable variable

Item

Conformity

Informational social influence

C1

I would search for other students’ opinions within Facebook groups when completing my assignments

  

C2

I would gather relevant information from Facebook group members when I have questions

  

C3

I would search for senior students’ opinions within Facebook groups when completing my assignments

 

Normative social influence

C4

I think it is the safest strategy to make the same choices as most of the other members in Facebook groups

  

C5

Being a maverick in Facebook groups often does not end well

  

C6

My willingness to share information would be affected if others do not approve of the information I share in Facebook groups

  

C7

It is important to blend in with the community in Facebook groups

  

C8

I would try not to oppose the opinions of other members in Facebook groups

  

C9

I would choose to compromise if there is no way to agree with the opinions of certain members in Facebook groups

Learning anxiety

Fear of asking for help

A1

I feel anxious about asking teachers for help with the parts that I do not understand

  

A2

I find it difficult to ask teaching assistants for help with course content that I do not understand

  

A3

I feel embarrassed to ask teaching assistants for help

  

A4

I find it difficult to discuss the parts that I do not understand with teachers face-to-face

 

Test anxiety

A5

My emotions become relatively more unstable before exams

  

A6

My heart beats faster when I receive the examination paper

  

A7

I am worried that my exam results will not be as good as expected

  

A8

My mind goes blank during exams

  

A9

I always think about the negative consequences during exams

 

Classroom anxiety

A10

I am so nervous in class that I even forget things that I know

  

A11

I feel nervous when classmates are discussing the course content

  

A12

I am worried that I will not be able to keep up with the curriculum if the course progresses too quickly

  

A13

I feel scared when teachers ask me to answer questions during class

 

Facebook group anxiety

A14

I feel anxious when discussing studies with my classmates within Facebook groups

  

A15

It makes me feel more anxious to discuss the course with my classmates within Facebook groups compared with face-to-face discussion or in book clubs

  

A16

I feel uneasy when posting questions that I do not understand on the wall of Facebook groups

 

Intrinsic learning motivation

IN1

In a class like this, I prefer course material that really challenges me so I can learn new things

  

IN2

In a class like this, I prefer course material that arouses my curiosity, even if it is difficult to learn

  

IN3

The most satisfying thing for me in this course is trying to understand the content as thoroughly as possible

  

IN4

When I have the opportunity in this class, I choose course assignments that I can learn from even if they don’t guarantee a good grade

 

Extrinsic learning motivation

EX1

Getting a good grade in this class is the most satisfying thing for me right now

  

EX2

The most important thing for me right now is improving my overall grade point average, so my main concern in this class is getting a good grade

  

EX3

If I can, I want to get better grades in this class than most of the other students

  1. The scales of “Intrinsic Learning Motivation” and “Extrinsic Learning Motivation” were retrieved from Pintrich [71]

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Sun, J.CY., Syu, YR. & Lin, YY. Effects of conformity and learning anxiety on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: the case of Facebook course groups. Univ Access Inf Soc 16, 273–288 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0456-1

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