Essential Function 1: Unpacking Sources of Efficacy

UNPACKING

Sources of Efficacy

When designing structures to support CTE, it is important to understand the conditions that foster its development. Individuals gain efficacy through four main sources: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and affective states (Bandura, 1994). As each of the four sources is explained below, consider the experiences that have helped you develop self-efficacy.

Mastery Experience 

Successfully completing a task or challenge helps to build a robust belief in one’s ability to be successful in similar endeavors. Directly experiencing success is the most influential means for developing self-efficacy. Mastery experiences are those that involve an individual’s personal experiences succeeding in the face of new challenges (Bandura, 1994). When one faces a challenging situation and finds success, it provides that person with the most authentic evidence they can persist and attain their goals. However, when an individual experiences only easy successes, they may come to expect quick results and be easily discouraged when failure occurs. Some setbacks and struggles help a person understand that success generally requires sustained effort, however repeated failures can undermine an individual’s self-efficacy (Bandura, 1994). Once a person becomes convinced they have what it takes to succeed, they are more likely to persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks (Goddard et al., 2004).

As you listen to the conversation between Lee Buono and Al Siedlecki in the StoryCorps Podcast (StoryCorps, 2011), consider the mastery experiences that led to a heightened sense of self-efficacy?

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Vicarious Experience

Vicarious experiences sometimes referred to as social modeling, are the second most powerful source of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1994). Watching someone similar to oneself succeed through sustained effort increases a person’s belief that they too can be successful in achieving comparable goals or skills. In the same way, seeing others fail despite great effort can lower one’s belief in their own ability to be successful. A key element of the impact vicarious experience can have on the development of CTE is one’s perceived similarity to the person who is providing the model. The greater the perceived similarity between the model and the person observing, the stronger the influence the model has on the person’s belief in their own ability to succeed or fail in similar situations (Donohoo, 2017).When teachers observe a colleague succeed in reaching students with learning difficulties, that success can increase the other teachers’ belief in their own ability to successfully teach students who struggle.

In the article Vicariously Learning Experiences. Why Aren’t We Doing More of Those, Peter DeWitt (2017) shares his personal experience and thoughts about how educators learn through vicarious opportunities. As you read the article, consider how school leaders can provide vicarious experiences for their staff.

Reflective Questions

• How did a one hour a week observation change Peter DeWitt’s mindset?
• Why do teachers and leaders need more vicarious educational experiences?
• How might school leaders increase modeling opportunities for all teachers?

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Social Persuasion

Social persuasion occurs when someone whose opinion is trusted or valued expresses confidence, encouragement, and support for another’s ability to succeed in a difficult task or situation (Bandura, 1994). When someone you trust believes that you have what it takes to succeed, you are likely to be persuaded that you can be successful. Persuasion leads people to put forth more effort and promotes the development of skills that lead to increased self-efficacy. Social persuasion has the potential to influence collective efficacy when groups are encouraged by credible and trustworthy persuaders to innovate and overcome challenges. The more cohesive a faculty, the more easily they can be persuaded by sound arguments (Donohoo, 2017).

Reflective Questions

• How might social persuasion be used by school leaders to build self-efficacy among educators?
• How can educational leaders provide opportunities for educators to interact with credible and trustworthy persuaders that encourage innovation and growth?

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Affective States  

The last source of efficacy is affective states or one’s emotional connection to a situation. Affective states include a person’s feelings of excitement or anxiety, which impact that person’s perception of their competence in a given situation (Bandura, 1994). A positive emotional response enhances perceived self-efficacy, while a negative reaction diminishes self-efficacy. Affective states are more than the intensity of one’s emotional reaction. They include how one’s emotions are perceived and interpreted. People who have a high sense of self-efficacy are likely to view their affective state as energizing, while those with a negative affective state find their emotional response leads to self-doubt and hinders their willingness to persist (Goddard et al., 2004).

Watch the video The Flock: Supporting Teachers through Peer Feedback (Edutopia, 2018) and reflect on the following questions. The Flock: Supporting Teachers through Peer Feedback (3:42 min.)  

Reflective Questions

• How does “The Flock” structure help to promote a positive affective state and energize the performance of educators?
• How does this structure also strengthen collective efficacy through other sources of efficacy?

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In this first section, we have explored the different types of efficacy, how self-efficacy develops, and the impact of strong CTE. The remaining essential functions focus on four strategies that educational leaders may use to build CTE within a school. While there are many strategies that could be used to develop and strengthen CTE capacity; this learning module will focus on the following.

• Collaboration and Social Networks
• Teacher Leadership
• Teacher Voice in Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Collaborative Teacher Inquiry