In my nineteen year community organizing career prior to becoming a public school teacher, one tool we used to encourage people to do something they had never done before — participate in public life — was develop what we called “fixed-fights.” These were small-scale actions where new volunteer leaders had an almost guaranteed chance of success. These victories would help them develop self-confidence and a belief that it was worth continuing on the road to greater risks.
These kinds of actions helped people develop their sense of self-efficacy – their belief in their ability to be successful (Albert Bandura is well-known for his work applying this concept to education and other fields).
Most teachers know that a similar perspective can be applied to education, as well, and a new study demonstrates its potential for success in the classroom.
Basically, researchers secretly gave some students a group of easier problems than another group, and then those with the easier problems were publicly praised for getting more of them correct. Then,
We found that the success-induced students raised their self-efficacy, and this elevated self-efficacy persisted for as long as one year.
In other words, their raised belief in their ability to succeed carried over to their classwork, and raised their overall academic achievement.
Here’s how the researchers explained that carryover success:
One possible answer comes from self-regulated learning theory (Zimmerman, 1990), which hypothesizes a “virtuous causal cycle”: Students first experience success, which raises their self-efficacy. Improved self-efficacy increases motivation and the use of effective learning strategies. These covert and overt changes then lead to improved academic achievement, and the cycle begins anew.
It’s not unusual for me to have some students who have little belief in themselves. “I’m an F student” or a “Nothing” response to my question, “Can you tell me one thing you’re good at?” is a typical indicator of those feelings.
I believe that setting up situations for students to increase their sense of self-efficacy – for example, offering plenty of opportunities for “do-overs” or, as we are doing in our Long-Term English Language Learner Support Class, providing extra help in academic classes (even for students who aren’t quite at the “I’m not good at anything” level but who, nevertheless, lack self-confidence because of past struggles in school), can result in similar impacts on academic achievement.
What do you think?
I’m adding this piece to Best Posts On “Motivating” Students.
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What strategy is most useful in promoting self-efficacy in educators and in learners? is from Digital Promise.
Hey Larry, I’m not even sure how I came across your blog, but it’s blowing me away. There is such a plethora of information. I feel like it’s a Wikipedia of sorts for all kinds of best practices in helping our students become the best versions of themselves.
I’ve been a teacher for 15 years and have definitely seen a decline in students self-efficacy and agency for themselves.
I understand the data presented in the research you provided in this article, and I agree with the fact that most kids will gain confidence when they experience a quick win. In this case, it was the students with the easier problems.
But is giving a quick win and making something easier first really the answer?
It seems to fly in the face of growth mindset. What are your thoughts?
Within the last few years, I see students who won’t even put forth the effort on the easy stuff because they want to be given the answers. And on the flip side, when I give the kids harder problems to solve (I teach science), they put forth their best effort.
Maybe it’s more of how we frame the objectives. When our expectations are clear, we have formed relationships and connections, and they’ve been told they may not get it right YET, that’s when I’ve seen the biggest change in their self-efficacy.
Thanks for getting my brain to think today. Your article made me dig a little deeper into what we’re being told as educators.
Heather, you make some excellent points. I do think, though, that some quick wins for some students can be very effective, along with teaching about a growth mindset. I’ve had, and continue to have, some students who feel so beat down (“I’m an F student”) that I think we need to lead with quick wins.