What is self-efficacy?
Self-efficacy is the belief in yourself to achieve something. In learning, it is important for students to feel like they are capable of learning the material. In the late 1970s, Albert Bandura proposed that there are four sources of self-efficacy and four self-efficacy processes.
Sources of self-efficacy:
- Mastery experiences, or when you have done something enough times that you feel confident doing the action.
Ex: After practicing the driving test route almost thirty times, you are confident you will pass your driving test.
- Vicarious experiences provided by social models, or seeing role models, who you believe to be similar to yourself, succeed.
Ex: Having seen your older brother, someone who grew up in the same household as you, graduate from university, you believe that you can do the same.
- Social persuasion, or when you are encouraged by others to achieve something.
Ex: If your swimming coach praises your technique and insists you will make it to the state championship, you will have more faith in yourself.
- Reduction of stress reactions and altering of negative emotions, or eliminating or shifting your perception of negative feelings.
Ex: You will have an easier time believing in yourself if you are not struggling with depression or anxiety, or have a habit of framing things positively.
Self-efficacy affects four types of psychological processes.
Efficacy-activated processes:
- Cognitive processes: Since most human behavior originates from thought, people’s decisions will be influenced by self-efficacy. The higher the level of self-efficacy, “ the higher the goal challenges people set for themselves and the firmer their commitment to them” (Bandura, 1994).
Ex: If you believe you can only achieve a 60% on your midterm in a challenging class, you are unlikely to set yourself a goal of 100% .
- Motivational processes: Self-efficacy determines the goals people set, the effort that is expended, their perseverance, and their resilience in difficult situations.
Ex: If the most amount of push-ups you’ve ever done is 12, it will be easier to lose motivation or give up if you’re tasked with doing 100 (versus, say, 15).
- Affective processes: Self-efficacy contributes to one’s anxiety and stress; perceived ability to cope with stress leads to one’s reaction to it.
Ex: One technique used to help people overcome a phobia is by gradually increasing how long they perform the activity. As they do the activity for a longer period of time, they start to believe in their ability to do so, developing a coping efficacy.
- Selection processes: A person’s choice to try something new is influenced by beliefs of personal efficacy. As someone expands their interests and experiences new environments outside of their comfort zones, they will increase the range of their personal development.
Ex: If you have high self-efficacy regarding professional skills and experience, there will be more career options you consider seriously, regardless of whether you qualify or not. Because you perceive yourself to be a good candidate, you will show greater interest in the job, as well as prepare more for the interview, leading to greater success.
Because of the significant role it plays in learning, self-efficacy should be considered while designing a learning experience. Although the sources of self-efficacy are not always controllable, it is important to understand them and how they can affect a learner.
References
Mayer, R. (2010). Applying the Science of Learning (1st ed.). Pearson.
Tanner, K. D. (2012). Promoting Student Metacognition. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(2), 113–120. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033
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