MOTIVATION & SELF EFFICACY

Student motivation and self efficacy



Student Motivation and Self Efficacy

Introduction

In the course of our lives, we humans are faced with an infinite number of decisions, problems and challenges. Despite statistics that tell us of the emotional and behavioral problems of individuals, most people, most of the time, are not able to decide properly regarding how to resolve their problems and overcome challenges. One of the most important psychologies is to understand how humans adapt and manage to overcome their daily challenges.

In the school environment, current theories study postulated learning and instruction which suggest that students are active seekers and processors of information (Pintrich, Cross, Kozma, & McKeachie, 1986). Research indicates that students' cognitions influence the instigation, direction, strength and persistence of behaviors aimed at achievement (Schunk, 1989b, Weinstein 1989; Zimmerman, 1990).

This paper aims to present an overview of self-efficacy theory of Albert Bandura (1977, 1986) and present, in turn, some research findings that have used this theory to explain the motivation and academic achievement of students. Over the past decade, self-efficacy has received increasing attention in its application to educational research, primarily in the area of academic motivation (Pintrich & Schunk, 1995).

Self-efficacy theory

Bandura is considered as one of the most important theorists of cognitivism. In 1977, with the publication of his article "Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change" (Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change), Bandura identified an important aspect of human behavior: people create and develop self-perceptions about their ability, same as they become the means by which their goals are, and they control what they can do to control their own environment. Then, in 1986, Bandura published his book Social Foundations of Thought and Action, a work that proposes a social-cognitive theory and emphasizes the role of phenomena (what you say to itself). This pertains to the the means by which man is capable of acting in his environment. We need to consider also those individuals who have an internal system to enable them to self control their thoughts, feelings, motivations and behaviors. 

This system provides its own internal mechanism to the person of reference and is also the basis on which to perceive, evaluate and regulate our conduct. According to Bandura, the way people interpret the results of their actions provides information, and alters their environments and their personal beliefs. This in turn provides information about, and alters their subsequent performance. This triad, behavior, environment and thinking are the basis of what the man calls reciprocal determinism. This exists between behavior, environment, and thinking thus creating a reciprocal relationship observed in a mutual influence. In general, Bandura sets a view in which beliefs (thoughts), that people have about themselves, are key to the control the personal competence in which individuals are seen as products and producers in their own environment and their own social system. Therefore, man, from this perspective, not just reacts to the environment, but is also able to modify it to act proactively.

For Bandura, self-reflection process is such that it allows individuals to evaluate their own experiences and thought ...