Bandura Theory Self Efficacy in Education

What’s the best way to motivate students to be high achievers in school? Is it bribery? Maybe that works in the short term but doesn’t increase motivation for future tasks. Is it stamping a grade on a test, determining their knowledge level on a subject, and then moving on to the next unit? That might work for some students but it will rarely inspire a student who received an F to study enough for an A. So how do we motivate our students? The Bandura theory self efficacy may have a solution. To get an idea of what this theory is about. Check out this video that explains it well.

To summarize Bandura’s theory, people do well at tasks if they think they will be able to do well and this self-efficacy is one of the biggest predictors of high performance. High self-efficacy is also a strong indicator of future success on similar tasks. So the question becomes, how do we build self-efficacy in our students?

Master Tasks

One of the main ways that Bandura says we can increase self-efficacy is to master tasks. Once we master small tasks, we will increase our self-efficacy for similar future tasks. This, in turn, increases our motivation because we actually believe that we can do the task.

So why are we stamping tests with a value rating of A through F and then moving on to the next topic? If students are going to increase their motivation and self-efficacy for school tasks, they need to master tasks, not just receive an F and then move on. Receiving an F and then moving on simply offers “proof” to the student that they don’t have what it takes to succeed.

So, instead of perpetuating this perception of failure, let’s require students to master a topic before moving on to the next one.

The Mastery Gamification Methodology

The Mastery Gamification Methodology is all about requiring students to master school tasks which builds their self-efficacy and gives them the time they need to master it. The gamification involved in the method makes it fun for students and the mastery part allows teachers to be confident that their students understand the topic. If you’d like to connect, visit my Facebook page, and let’s level up student self-efficacy together!