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Positive Effects
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Competition can increase positive interpersonal relationships among children on the same team and have positive effects on children in general, if it is used in the right situation and with a clear purpose. In the classroom, competitions are active opportunities to build respect and relationships. They engage all students, so everybody can have a positive learning experience. The main goal of the competition is to create new learning processes, not to decide who the best or the fastest is in a certain activity.

Negative Effects ================== For competitive personalities, classroom competitions are opportunities to claim recognition as leaders of the classroom. Children are used to the notion of competition as they see it in the adult world: not winning means humiliation and exclusion; not getting what others have is a sign of weakness; and the word "loser" is the worst. For winning purposes, relationships are based on performance level. If it is not used to facilitate learning and stimulate positive outcomes, competition should be avoided.

Solutions ========= Competitions should be kept short in the classroom; thus, they won't degenerate into a possible conflict. Changing the group members frequently can create new relationships and keeping the prize small can make students think of the "journey" more than of the "destination." Positive feedback and fair rewards for all participants makes competition less threatening. Teachers should explain to the participants that learning is more important than being the first to cross the finish line.