Self Efficacy
Note: this page is currently under construction. Please do not cite.
By 'self-efficacy' motivational researchers mean a person's perception of their own capabilities (Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2007; p. 8), as opposed to an objective measure of their capabilities. Self-efficacy relates to relatively specific (and therefore perhaps transient) beliefs about one's own abilites. Not so much the general belief that I am competent in algebra, but that I am competent in a specific (type of) algebraic task (e.g., solving linear equations or even linear equations of a certain type). (VA: This latter part needs to be checked.)
Although self-efficacy is an inherently subjective notion, in many academic learning situations people's "subjective" self-efficacy beliefs may be heavily influenced by "objective" measurements of their competence that they know about, such as for example their results on tests and quizzes.
Self-efficacy (and similar constructs) are an important construct in multiple theories of motivation (Bandura's social-cognitive theory of motivation, Eccles and Wigfield's expectancy-value theories, attribution theory (Weiner). Perhaps also in theories of self-regulated learning? Closely related (but different) constructs are feeling of knowing (FOK), self-concept, and judgments of self-competence. (Need to point out how these concepts are different. And whether each deserves its own place on the PSLC wiki.) (Is learned helplessness a related construct?)
Question: have researchers distinguished between beliefs about one's ability to _perform_ in a certain domain and one's ability to _learn_ in a certain domain? One probably expects these to be highly correlated and perhaps often not clearly distinguished in people's minds ... has that been studied? Would it be interesting to study? Would it be a PSLCish thing to study?
Measurement: self-efficacy is typically assessed by means of questionnaires (need examples of questions) and is often related to specific task (e.g., a subject is presented with a specific task instances and asked "how well do you think you will do on this task?". (Need to check this and give examples.) Teacher assessment is sometimes used.
Research results related to self-efficacy: many studies find that self-efficacy is highly correlated with learning. Some studies find that self-efficacy is a better predictor of learning than prior knowledge. Some studies find (I believe) that self-efficacy beliefs particular SRL strategies
With respect to the question of how self-efficacy beliefs influence learning,
Accuracy of self-efficacy beliefs. (Need to cite some research about how accurate people's self-efficacy beliefs tend to be.) It is generally believed among motivation researchers that underestimating one's capabilities tends to be worth - from a viewpoint of future academic achievement (??? check!) - than overestimating one's capabilities.
Of course, if self-eff
Recently, researchers have started to look at ways of automatically measuring self-efficacy within computer-based learning environments, and have started to create machine-learned detectors that (unobtrusively and automatically, in real time) detect behaviors within a computer-based learning environment that reflect high/low self-efficacy (e.g., Lester, McQuiggan (sp?), Boyer at NC State), opening up rather novel opportunities for research. It is still an open question to what degree such detectors can be used to enhance the effectiveness of the learning environment (for example, by helping the learner develop greater self-efficacy, or by adapting in other ways to learners' self-efficacy). (Wonder also if these efforts raise an issue of construct validity. We researchers need to be watchful that in our efforts to create automated detectors we honor the original notion of self-efficacy.)
