Self-efficacy refers to a person’s perception of themselves as capable of coping with learning challenges, realizing plans, aspirations, and goals that are not easy to achieve, and bringing about positive change in their personal or community life. A strong sense of self-efficacy affects the learner’s belief in their abilities, increases the tendency to invest effort in performing tasks, positively influences motivation, and contributes to learner autonomy.
In order to support the development of self-efficacy, the teacher should convey a message of belief in the learner’s ability to succeed, present the learner with optimal challenges that are neither too difficult nor too easy, and provide immediate, specific, and non-comparative feedback. The teacher should praise the learner’s effort and ability , make it clear that failure or error is part of the learning process, and emphasize that ability can grow.
Citizen science projects enable learners to engage in research within a professional scientific environment and, at times, to influence and bring about meaningful change in their surroundings. In this way, learners develop a sense of self-efficacy regarding their abilities and skills. For example, a student who participated in the citizen science project “In the footprints of small mammals” learned to document tracks using track-identification surfaces, realized that this was a task they could perform independently, and as a result their engagement and self-directed learning increased (see the implementation story “A Classroom Study for Personal Inquiry”).
Deepening and Expansion ▼
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1982; 1997) affects a person’s choices, the effort they invest, and their persistence in the activities in which they participate. Individuals with high self-efficacy tend to evaluate their ability to cope successfully with challenging tasks and are more likely to invest effort in performing them. A sense of efficacy develops on the basis of previous experiences. Experiences that end successfully increase the sense of self-efficacy, whereas previous failures may reduce it. When another person expresses confidence in the individual’s ability to succeed, the individual’s sense of self-efficacy may increase. Verbal persuasion is effective primarily when the persuading person is significant for the individual (for example, parents or teachers) or when the persuading person is perceived as knowledgeable in the relevant domain. People assess their abilities based on their performance attainments (successes and failures), experiences (observations, especially of similar others), forms of persuasion (for example: “You can do this!”), and physiological indicators (for example: heart rate or sweating).
Self-efficacy in education
There is broad agreement that schools are more likely to achieve their educational mission when they integrate efforts to support students academically, socially, and emotionally (Elliot & Dweck, 2005; Hod & Ben-Zvi, 2018; Zins et al., 2004). Children adopt behavioral patterns through models (personal example), reinforcement, and praise. The social environment provides the context in which children develop, and the nature of that environment influences their behavior and beliefs. Positive and encouraging responses to children’s experiences strengthen their sense of self-efficacy and can influence their future development. The development of self-efficacy is supported in a learning environment that creates opportunities to experience success alongside a clear message of belief in the learner’s abilities. Such conditions are fostered when teaching incorporates trust, respect, empathic listening, care, and praise; encourages personal initiative in learning; and, more broadly, supports learners’ development. Additional important factors include helping students cope with difficulties, conveying the message that failure or error is part of the learning process, and emphasizing that personal ability is not fixed but rather capable of growth. Motivation increases when students recognize that they are progressing in their learning. As they continue working on tasks and become more skilled, they develop a stronger sense of self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy in citizen science
Several researchers (e.g., Phillips et al., 2018; Ballard & Belsky, 2010; Bela et al., 2016; Vohland et al., 2021) have identified the development of self-efficacy among participants in citizen science projects. One study based on participant reports from a forest-related citizen science project identified two aspects of self-efficacy: the first indicated increased awareness of the abilities and skills required in ecological research, and the second indicated increased confidence in the ability to influence organizational structures, alongside recognition that change occurred, at least partially, through participants’ involvement in ecological research. Additional studies point to the empowerment of students who participated in citizen science projects, reflected in the development of problem-solving skills through the scientific method. Based on a literature review of such studies, a theoretical framework was developed to evaluate the value of participation in citizen science. One of the six components of this framework was defined as “self-efficacy.” In the context of citizen science, self-efficacy refers to the extent to which learners feel confident in their ability to participate in scientific and environmental activities. At the same time, recent studies on participation in citizen science projects suggest that measurable change in self-efficacy is relatively rare. It is important not to confuse the development of self-efficacy with behavioral change, such as changes in household waste practices. Evidence for such characteristics can be difficult to measure, and researchers recommend both deeper investigation of the issue and careful design of the learning environment.
Additional Resources:
Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Education of Thinking, 20, 55–77.
References ▼
Ballard, H. L., & Belsky, J. M., (2010) Participatory action research and environmental learning: implications for resilient forests and communities, Environmental Education Research, 16:5-6, 611-627, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2010.505440
Bandura, A. (1982).The assessment and predictive generality of self-percepts of efficacy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 13(4), 195-199.https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(82)90004-0.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy : the exercise of control. W.H. Freema
Bela, G., Peltola, T., Young, J.C., Balázs, B., Arpin, I., Pataki, G., Hauck, J., Kelemen, E., Kopperoinen, L., Van Herzele, A., Keune, H., Hecker, S., Suškevičs, M., Roy, H.E., Itkonen, P., Külvik, M., László, M., Basnou, C., Pino, J. and Bonn, A. (2016), Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science. Conservation Biology. 30: 990-999. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12762
Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (2005). Handbook of competence and motivation. Guilford Press.
Hod, Y. & Ben-Zvi, D. (2018). Co-development patterns of knowledge, experience, and self in humanistic knowledge building communities. Instructional Science, 46(4), 593-619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-018-9467-z
Kali, Y., (2006). Collaborative knowledge-building using the Design Principles Database. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 1(2), 187-201.
Phillips, T., Porticella, N., Constas, M. and Bonney, R., (2018). A Framework for Articulating and Measuring Individual Learning Outcomes from Participation in Citizen Science. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 3(2), p.3. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.126
Vohland, K., Land-zandstra, A., Ceccaroni, L., Lemmens, R., Perelló, J., Ponti, M., Samson, R., & Wagenknecht, K. (2021). The Science of Citizen Science. Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer. Link.
Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., and Walberg, H. J. (Editors), (2004), Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning; What Does the Research Say?, Teachers College Press, New York. ISBN: 0807744395. Link.