Introduction

Self-efficacy, a concept introduced by renowned psychologist Albert Bandura, plays a pivotal role in our lives, influencing the way we set goals, approach challenges, and ultimately, achieve success. It refers to an individual’s belief in their ability to use their skills to accomplish specific tasks. A strong sense of self-efficacy can empower people to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles, while low self-efficacy can hinder learning, personal growth and success. In this article, I aim to shed light on my research and reflections on self-efficacy, explore this within the context of teaching and learning (academic self-efficacy) and provide concrete strategies to help improve it.

Why Self-Efficacy?

I was recently given the task of exploring the concept of self-efficacy for a project we undertook on behalf of Study Higher, based at Oxford Brookes University. Study Higher had asked us to design and develop a series of workshops in response to the Office for Students’ (OfS) requirements for a shift in focus from ‘aspiration raising’ to ‘attainment raising’ support for schools and colleges. The topic of enhancing academic self-efficacy piqued my interest in an area of research that I looked forward to exploring more deeply. What resulted from this research was not only a cracking workshop for Study Higher, but also a greater understanding of how self-efficacy has influenced my own learning journey and an appreciation of how our work through MADE Training encourages students to enhance academic self-efficacy through concrete, applicable strategies.

What is Self-Efficacy?

Self-efficacy is not merely about having confidence in yourself; it’s about having the belief in your ability to perform specific actions in specific situations. It’s a dynamic belief that varies from task to task and context to context. Let’s start by differentiating self-efficacy from self confidence and self-esteem:

Self-confidence:

Self-confidence means trusting in your own judgement and capabilities. It’s about valuing yourself and feeling worthwhile, regardless of any imperfections or what others may believe about you.

Self-esteem:

Self-esteem is a more general sense that we can cope with what’s going on in our lives, and that we have a right to be happy.

Self-efficacy:

Self-efficacy is your belief in your capability to act in the ways necessary to accomplish specific tasks in specific situations.

 

Let’s take the task of public speaking. Most people would say they were confident in articulating or explaining something they knew about (for example a familiar work process or personal interest) to a colleague or friend. Their level of self-efficacy is high regarding the task and the situation. However, if you ask them to deliver the same explanation in front of a camera, or at a national conference, things are likely to change. The perceived pressure of the situation may reduce their belief in their skills, and an action that they executed with ease earlier, is now overwhelmed with self-doubt; their self-efficacy is at rock-bottom. The reality is that their skills have not changed, but their ability to access their skills has. Our levels of self-efficacy can be likened to a valve, turning on and off our skills.

Let’s put that into the context of a concrete, personal example:

I feel that I have a high level of self-esteem and a moderately high level of self-confidence, ie: I value myself and have positive expectations. I also have a high level of self-efficacy when it comes to meeting new people. From a young age I was extremely at ease socially. Through studying communication and the experience of teaching and workshop delivery, I have learnt that I employ verbal and non-verbal cues, open questioning and active listening, all combined, in order to build rapport and make someone feel at ease. However, over the last ten years when in a professional networking situation or pitch, my level of self-efficacy in building rapport would be much lower than in social situations. Why was this? One reason could be that the roles my ex-business partner, Corin, and I unconsciously took on were those of him being the relationship builder, and me being the technical expert. Corin would open conversations and build rapport with potential clients before passing over to me to deliver the technical expertise. We both got used to these roles and conveniently divided the responsibilities. Over time, we got stuck in these positions.

Corin decided to emigrate to Australia in 2022 and I realised that I needed to step up, however reluctantly, to the ‘front of house’ position. My low level of self-efficacy with regard to using my communication skills in a professional networking or pitching context gave me feelings of anxiety and trepidation. However, once I started attending these events on my own and threw myself into them, I realised I had the required skills within me to perform the tasks. That is to say: rapport building through effective communication. As my self-efficacy grew, so did my confidence. I now embrace large, work-related functions and thrive in these situations: I really enjoy them and look forward to them.

We experience different levels of self-efficacy across areas of our lives. Someone with a high level of self-efficacy in their work, might also have low self-efficacy regarding making health choices. They might smoke and drink alcohol excessively, sleep very little and do little exercise. With awareness of these factors and the belief that we can change (see Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset), we can begin to influence our behaviour and take action. Bandura suggests that self-efficacy can be generated and influenced by the following factors:

• Mastery Experiences: These are our past successes and accomplishments. When we’ve succeeded in the past, it boosts our self-efficacy for similar tasks in the future.
• Vicarious Learning: Observing others achieve can also enhance self-efficacy. When we see someone similar to ourselves accomplishing a task, we have more belief that we can do it too.
• Social Persuasion: Encouragement and feedback from others can significantly impact our self-efficacy. Positive reinforcement and supportive words from mentors, friends, or family can boost our confidence.
• Emotional and Psychological States: Our emotional and physiological reactions can affect self-efficacy. For instance, feeling anxious or stressed can lower your self-efficacy, while feeling calm and focused can increase it.

Through my research, I have found a fifth factor that many writers/academics choose to add to Bandura’s four, and that is:

• Imaginal Performances: How we think about a future event can affect our ability to access our skills and perform at our best. When used positively, it is the act of visualising yourself behaving effectively or successfully in a given situation.

They all make sense. For each one, I would add some general advice that’s been shared with me over the past:

• Mastery Experiences: Think more about the successes and progress that you’ve made.
• Vicarious Learning: Watch others who are doing well at what you want to do.
• Social Persuasion: As far as you can, spend time with positive people.
• Emotional and Psychological States: Prepare your head before taking action. Induce the optimum state to help you get the best from this situation.
• Imaginal Performances: See yourself performing at your best and acquitting yourself well.

Sounds straight-forward? Let’s take a look at some practical strategies which we can use to develop self-efficacy in real life.

Strategies for Improving Self-Efficacy

• Set Realistic Goals: Start with achievable, well-defined goals. Think SMART goals.
• Break Tasks into Smaller Steps: Dividing a daunting task into smaller, more manageable steps makes them less overwhelming and increases your belief in your ability to finish things.
• Seek Positive Role Models: Talk to individuals who have achieved what you aspire to, or who are working towards the same goals. Learning from their experiences can inspire and inform your own journey. Study their actions. Look for what works for them and what doesn’t work for them.
• Develop Skills: Enhancing your skills and knowledge through learning and practice is a sure-fire way to increase self-efficacy: the more competent you become, the more confident you will feel.
• Maintain a Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth rather than fearing failure. A growth mindset allows you to view setbacks as learning experiences (see: Carol Dweck).
• Monitor Self-Talk: Pay attention to your inner dialogue. Replace negative self-talk with kindness and positive affirmations. Encourage yourself and believe in your capabilities.
• Visualise Success: Use visualisation techniques to mentally rehearse successful actions and outcomes. This can boost your confidence and improve performance. Make sure you picture yourself performing the tasks successfully, not just holding the trophy or receiving a standing ovation.
• Seek Support: Reach out to friends, family, colleagues, mentors, teachers, counsellors or therapists who can provide guidance and encouragement. Their support can be invaluable/pivotal in building self-efficacy.
• Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem. Recognising your accomplishments reinforces your belief in your abilities.
• Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity: Failure is a natural part of life. Instead of viewing failure as a setback, try and see it as a chance to learn and grow. Analyse what went wrong and use those reflections to improve. Try the Win/Learn/Change reflection strategy.

Conclusion

Self-efficacy is a fundamental aspect of personal development and success. By understanding its components and actively working to improve your own self-efficacy, you can enhance your belief in your abilities and increase your chances of accomplishing your goals. Remember that self-efficacy is not a fixed trait; it can be cultivated and strengthened over time with dedication, effort, and the right mindset. This applies within the academic sphere as much as it does in any other of life’s arenas. So start taking proactive steps to boost your self-efficacy today and watch your confidence and achievements soar. If you work with young people, consider how your language, support, scaffolding and encouragement all play a part when influencing self-efficacy in others.

 

Written by Sander de Groot