Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory is the overarching theoretical framework of the self-efficacy construct (Bandura, 1986). Within this perspective, one's behavior is constantly under reciprocal influence from cognitive (and other personal factors such as motivation) and environmental influences. Bandura calls this three-way interaction of behavior, cognitive factors, and environmental situations the "triadic reciprocality." Applied to an instructional design perspective, students' academic performances (behavioral factors) are influenced by how learners themselves are affected (cognitive factors) by instructional strategies (environmental factors), which in turn builds on itself in cyclical fashion.

The methods for changing students' percepts of efficacy, according to Bandura (1977, 1986), are categorically subsumed under four sources of efficacy information that interact with human nature: (1) enactive attainment, (2) vicarious experience, (3) persuasory information, and (4) and physiological state.

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Research Notes:The Seeking Process of Self-Directed Learning

Mathie (1993) active learning strategies:

1. Provide overview of goals
2. Set expectations
3. Empower student to make choices
4. Environment that stresses rapport

The Teachable Moment

Moments of uncertainty and new challenges are managed through the discipline of routines. Routines anchor excursions into the unknown, allowing for untapped potential to be realized. Develop the tools to be ready for the moment.

Sources of Self-Efficacy Information

Sources of Self-Efficacy Information;. People make judgments about their capabilities, accurate or not these estimations are based on enactive experience, vicarious experience (observation), persuasory information, and physiological states. In school, children gain knowledge and experiences through experiential activities. They also gain information based on seeing how peers they judge to be similar to themselves perform at various levels and under given circumstances. They also are told by teachers, peers, family and others about their expected capabilities. Children give themselves physiological feedback about their capabilities through symptoms such as soreness or sweating. These sources of efficacy information are not mutually exclusive, but interact in the overall process of self-evaluation.

Bandura, Adams, & Beyer (1977) advise that enactive experience is a highly influential source of efficacy information. Successful experiences raise self-efficacy with regard to the target performance while experiences with failure lower it. Another source of efficacy information is vicarious experience through observation. Observing peers, or peer models, especially those with perceived similar capabilities, perform target performances results in evaluative information about one's personal capabilities.

Verbal persuasion or convincing serves as another source of efficacy information. Teachers, for example, can raise or inhibit students' percepts of efficacy by suggesting whether or not they have the capabilities to succeed in a given task (Bouffard-Bouchard, 1989). Models can also be used to demonstrate to self-doubters that personal capabilities are more often a result of effort rather than innate capability. Students often have physical reactions to anticipated events. Many a public speaker testifies to sweaty palms and nervous vocal reactions when performing a speech. These physiological indicators are sources of self-efficacy information as well. Social cognitive theory postulates that the aforementioned sources of self-efficacy information are the most influential determinants of performance.

Source: Positive Practices.com