BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOU'RE WORTH IT! Part II

Believe in yourself, you’re worth it! Part II

My previous Blog posting mentioned the importance of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s own capabilities to achieve a goal or an outcome. We were also reminded that a student believing in himself is one of the major steps necessary toward transforming that student into becoming a life-long learner.

Avoid these teaching practices, If you really want to improve student self-efficacy:

1 -Generalized, “Sage on the Stage,” type instruction. Inflexible pedagogy that
does not allow for student input, can deliver a crushing blow to a student’s perception of their ability. A routine type of “lecture and learn” instruction makes it more difficult for students to ask questions or contribute to the learning process in any way. In such circumstances, if a student becomes confused, lost or discouraged, they will likely remain so.

2 –Using an unproductive comparison. Teaching practices that compare students’ performance against each other does nothing to raise the self-efficacy of a student. It may raise the self-efficacy of the top students, but is very likely to lower the self-efficacy of the rest of the class. (Bandura, 1994).

The aforementioned are two of the most common, well-worn pedagogical practices that may unintentionally diminish the self-efficacy of the majority of students who are not academically at the top of the class.

Use these teaching practices liberally, to improve student self-efficacy:

1-Set specific short-term goals that are challenging, yet the student believes are attainable. (See previous Blog posting: http://teaching4achange.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to: A Real Personalized Assessment). (also Schunk and Pajares, 2002).

2-Have students verbally explain their specific learning strategy to you. Devise a method for the students to note their progress and to plan their next steps. (Schunk and Pajares, 2002).

3-Help students track their performance against the goals they have set. Use this comparison rather than comparing them to the rest of the class. (Bandura, 1994). (See previous Blog posting: http://teaching4achange.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to: A Real Personalized Assessment).

"It is not your aptitude, but your attitude, that determines your altitude."
--Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

How can I improve self-efficacy in my struggling students? Stay tuned for next Sunday’s blog posting.