Timing matters: Unpacking the dynamics of project-based groups through exploring proxy efficacy and collective efficacy

Project-based learning (PjBL) is used in classrooms around the world. During PjBL projects, students develop shared beliefs about the capabilities of their groups (collective efficacy) and fellow group members (proxy efficacy). Currently, knowledge about how these shared beliefs are associated with the performances of PjBL groups is limited. The central question addressed in this study concerns what role do collective efficacy and proxy efficacy beliefs have in the performances of PjBL groups completing science projects in school settings? Participants were 252 (46 female, 206 male) Grade 8 science students at two Catholic high schools in Sydney, Australia, randomly assigned to one of 63 project groups. Within each group, students were randomly assigned to one of 4 roles – coordinator, fixer, checker, or communicator. Data were self-reports and teacher summative assessments. Data collection occurred three times over a five-week period. Multilevel modelling was used to examine relationships between the study variables. This study found that proxy efficacy beliefs regarding the coordinator and communicator at the project midpoint had statistically significant associations with the performance of PjBL groups. It was also found that collective efficacy for group performance at Time 3 was associated with the performance of PjBL groups on the summative task. These findings provide novel insights into the role of efficacy beliefs in the performance of PjBL groups. A key takeaway is that beliefs about group members’ capabilities to fulfill their roles are important in the developing stages of projects, with shared beliefs about the group's capabilities for high achievement becoming important in the latter stages of projects. As such, these findings should provide educators with information about when they should nurture certain types of efficacy beliefs over the duration of PjBL projects.