Discuss about the Professional Research & Communication Self-Efficacy.

Self-efficacy is a term that refers to the belief that an individual has in his/her own capability and capacity to execute the behaviors that are required for producing specific performance attainments. There are various incidents that take place in the personal, professional and social environments that demand varied behavior and control. Self-efficacy is a reflection on the confidence to monitor and control self-motivation and behavior (Akhtar, 2017).

Efficacy is a term that refers to the ability to produce a specific result out of an activity. Self-efficacy, on the other hand, is one of the positive psychology models that refer to the self-belief in one’s own competence and capacity to achieve a favorable outcome.

Efficacy can be controlled by various personal and external factors and there may or may not be a significant role of one’s own thoughts, beliefs and actions in this case. However, in the case of self-efficacy, the primary actor is the individual itself. The level of self-efficacy primarily depends upon the individual and can be regulated by the same.

There are specific goals that every individual aspires to achieve. However, it is often witnessed that they do not have a plan of action to achieve these goals. Self-efficacy is extremely important as provides a perspective and motivation to achieve the goals and overcome the challenges. People that have strong self-efficacy get the ability to overcome the challenges that may face in different situations across their life span. They master the art of resolving the challenges and moving ahead instead of getting stuck at one place. It also leads to the formation of deeper understanding of the tasks and activities and enhances the level of commitment as well. Setbacks and disappointments are common in every phase of life. The individual that has the ability to quickly overcome such disappoints can only taste the flavor of success in life. Self-efficacy provides the capability to get over the setbacks and look out for new vistas (Linnenbrink, 2003).

On the other hand, people that have low self-efficacy tend to avoid the challenges and often get scared of the negative outcomes. Such individuals also lose their confidence in their abilities and capabilities.

There are various factors that contribute self-efficacy and its enhancement. One of such major factors is mastery experiences. Successful execution of the tasks and getting over the challenges enhances the self-efficacy of an individual. The experiences of facing the setbacks and negative outcomes also provide the ability to get over the same so that positive results may be achieved.

Importance of Self-Efficacy

In the social environment that we live in, every individual has a unique way of reacting to a situation. Observing the social elements going through a similar situation can also enhance self-efficacy. It can provide the correct perspective and the capability to succeed by taking inspiration from others.

Another factor that has a lot of contribution in self-efficacy is verbal encouragement from others. Social persuasion provides the individual with the confidence and belief to accomplish a particular task (Serc, 2017).

Psychological responses in a situation also have a huge impact on the self-efficacy of an individual. Personal mood and feelings along with the emotional and physical reaction to a situation can have a lot of significance on the belief in personal abilities. The ability to control the stress levels can lead to higher self-efficacy for the individuals (Verywell, 2017).

There has been a lot of research done in the areas of self-efficacy and its significance in the field of education.

Maria de Fatima Goulao has researched on the topic of the relationship between self-efficacy and the academic achievement in adults’ learners. The research methodology that has been used by the author is the qualitative method of research and the sample size of 63 students with an average size of 42 years was used in the research. The research question that the author primarily focused upon is the role that self-efficacy has on the adults’ learning. The author has explained the difference between adult learning and adult education. The explanation has been provided in the context of online learning. The primary sources of self-efficacy include past experience or performance, vicarious experiences, social persuasion and psychological responses. The author analyzed the self-efficacy of the students in their course and found the levels to be relatively high. The relationship between the self-efficacy of the groups and their performance is also analyzed in the context of virtual learning. There is a significant relationship between academic performance and self-efficacy (Goulao, 2014).

Another research has been done by the author, Amel Sakraoui Haddoune, to understand the relationship between self-efficacy and education. The author has analyzed self-efficacy and its role in attaining better academic performance in higher education. The methodology of research used by the author is the qualitative approach. The author has beautifully described the effects of self-efficacy in education at the cognitive, motivational, affective and selection levels. Students only invest in the future academic goals and learning only if they have higher levels of self-efficacy. It also provides them with the power to meet out the competition with lower stress levels. Teachers can also have a significant role in developing self-efficacy in the students and learners. They can adopt measures, such as, goal setting, strategy training, modeling and feedback. There are several strategies that have been explained in the research that may allow the learners to control and monitor their self-efficacy levels. These strategies include motivation control, emotion control and environmental control strategies (Haddoune, 2015).

Major Factors Contributing Self-Efficacy

Dale H. Schunk and Frank Pajares have jointly carried out a research on the development of academic self-efficacy. The authors have used action and grounded theory as the approaches for the execution of the research. They have defined self-efficacy as one’s power to perform and learn at different situations. They have also distinguished self-efficacy from other constructs, such as, effectance motivation, outcome expectations, self-concept beliefs and perceived control. It has been illustrated that schooling has a lot of impact on the self-efficacy of a student. The self-efficacy beliefs have been witnessed to decline in the advanced schooling stages. This is due to the reasons as increased competition, lesser attention by the teachers, peer pressure, familial pressure and likewise. There are also various transitions that a student faces during the advanced schooling stage that also has a lot of influence on self-efficacy. The authors have explained the role of gender and ethnicity in the area of self-efficacy in education. It has been discovered that boys/men have higher self-efficacy than girls/women in the field of mathematics and technology. It is opposite in the subjects such as language, arts, and psychology. These differences are due to the psychological traits and social influence associated with both the genders. There is also an impact of ethnicity on the self-efficacy of the individuals that has been observed. Goal setting, constructive feedback, increased attention etc. can enhance the levels of self-efficacy in students (Schunk & Pajares, 2011).

Anthony R. Artino, Jr has conducted a research on the topic, Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. The method of research that has been used by the author is the qualitative method of research. The primary research questions that the author has focused upon include the sources of self-efficacy, structure of self-efficacy and its implication in the medical education. Success in the academic environment does not simply rely upon the knowledge and the skills that are possessed by the learner. It is necessary to have higher levels of self-efficacy to deal with various situations that come up during academic courses. Self-efficacy of the students in the medical education can enable them to have a clear goal and also provides them with the ability to meet out the challenges. Medical education has a long span and there are several downfalls and achievements that may come up. Self-efficacy can be developed by using peer-modeling along with the effective communication through feedbacks (Artino, 2012).

Literature Review: Self-Efficacy and Education

Conclusion

The research that has been conducted by different researchers and authors has provided the link and relationship between self-efficacy and education. In case of academic performance and academic learning, self-efficacy has a lot of significance. It can be concluded through the outcomes of all the research articles and journals that have been reviewed that it is not only the knowledge and the skills that can lead to academic achievements. It is necessary to have faith in self in terms of the motivation to perform better and the ability to fight the challenges. There is a lot of competition in the academic courses that exists. The learners and students that have lower stress levels and the ability to perform in every situation can only succeed. All of these abilities have an extremely high dependency on the levels of self-efficacy. It is, therefore, necessary that the self-efficacy levels are maintained and improved to gain better academic results.

Self-efficacy has had an important role in my personal life. There have been phases in life wherein I stopped myself for achieving my goals due to self-efficacy. For instance, I had poor academic performance in spite of all the efforts. I got stressed and the level of my self-efficacy dropped. However, my teachers and my family persuaded me and provided me with the required amount of motivation. Their support enhanced my level of self-efficacy and I gained the power and ability to perform better.

Self-efficacy can be applied in the area of professional development. There are occurrences during the professional commitments that include a mix of success and failures. With the aid of self-efficacy, it becomes possible to deal with the excessive amount of stress and pressure.

References

Akhtar, M. (2017). What is Self-Efficacy? Bandura’s 4 Sources of Efficacy Beliefs. PositivePsychology.org.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://positivepsychology.org.uk/self-efficacy-definition-bandura-meaning/

Artino, A. (2012). Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3540350/

Goulao, M. (2014). The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Adults’ Learners. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.atiner.gr/journals/education/2014-1-3-4-Goulao.pdf

Haddoune, A. (2015). Reflection on students’ self-efficacy expectancies : Paving the path  to better achievement outcomes in Higher education. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/43977414.pdf

Linnenbrink, E. (2003). The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Student Engagement and Learning in the Classroom. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10573560308223?journalCode=urwl20

Schunk, D., & Pajares, F. (2011). The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/SchunkPajares2001.PDF

Serc. (2017). Self-Efficacy. Affective Domain. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/efficacy.html

Verywell. (2017). Self Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters. Verywell. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-self-efficacy-279595