PERFORMANCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Self-efficacy through task mastery

Eexperiences where individuals take on a task and master it, thus giving a sense of accomplishment and greater confidence when encountering a similar task in the future. Teachers can present new knowledge in small steps and provide students with clear instruction on how to master it. It’s even better to show students the specific steps required to solve a problem and then give them time and space to independently practice and achieve success doing it. In this way, students will develop a growth-oriented way of thinking believing that their ability can grow through hard work and practice. Therefore, students won’t drop our or stop doing something if they can’t do it right away. Instead, they are more likely to be motivated to learn when encountering difficulty.

VICARIOUS EXPERIENCE

Self-efficacy through seeing others succeed

Not only personal mastery that can lead to increased self-efficacy. When we see other people experience threatening situations and overcome them, this can improve our own sense that we will improve and complete a task if we persevere and sustain our efforts. In other words: “if they can do it, so can I”. Therefore, teachers can increase students’ motivation to learn by allowing them to see their peers being successful in a specific task.

Raises expectations more than outcomes do

Verbal persuasion is an easy intervention to persuade students that they can achieve something if they make the effort. When giving verbal encouragement, it’s important to give effort praise, which will fosters a growth mindset. For example, teachers can encourage students by saying “This is hard--don’t feel bad if you can’t do it yet”. Here, the key word is “yet”. It will give students a sense that their ability is malleable and they will see difficult or unsolved problems as challenges to be overcome through efforts and not as failures.

Anxiety can impair performance

High levels of anxiety usually impair a student’s ability to complete a task regardless of their ability to complete a task. In education we often see some students experience severe anxiety about studying or tests despite the fact that they’re able to do them. Put simply, the fear of the experience is worse than the actual experience. So teachers can adopt assessment for learning strategy, for example, by giving low-stake tests to check students’ mastery of knowledge.