Albert Bandura’s, social cognitive, theory defines self efficacy as the belief in one’s capabilities in goal achievement. The theory implies that self efficacy influences efforts put into a task, choices made, feelings, thought patterns, and emotional and psychological behavior. It controls behavior before and after a task is completed, and an individual’s belief on how long they can persevere faced with a challenging task.
Feedback is among the most powerful tools that influence self efficacy, learning and achievement. Feedback provides a positive or negative impact on a learner’s self efficacy. Positive feedback raises the self efficacy of learners while criticism undermines it. Students embrace positive feedback more positively than negative feedback, and tend to add more effort and ability when given positive feedback than when criticized. However, negative feedback may also work in improving learning and self efficacy as it develops an attitude of jealousy amongst the students who receive it. It assists in making the students work harder to reach the level of receiving positive feedback. Teachers should, however, be careful while using negative feedback to enhance students self efficacy as this may act as a source of demoralization.
Just as feedback, praise is also a motivating tool that develops self efficacy. Students who are praised for performance, proper behavior and attitude or in any aspect tend to work harder to retain their positions. Additionally, students who envy others also develop a positive attitude to work hard in class so that they may also be praised.
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and children goal setting.
Intrinsic motivation involves the urge to behave or complete a task because one finds it appealing or rewarding. It generates from an inner drive that motivates a person to participate in an activity from enjoyment or satisfaction derived from. Extrinsic motivation involves participating in an activity for a reward or to avoid a punishment. Example may include studying to get good grades; the motivation is getting the grades but not desire to have good grades.
Goal setting is a crucial aspect for student success. However, the goals set may affect a learner’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Some goals are set for rewards, punishment avoidance, or for public image. This implies that they lack the inner drive that is crucial in achieving such goals.
In most cases, students set goals that are aimed at passing their tests, achieving good grades, receiving rewards, praise and recognition, among others. Most of them achieve such goals and feel motivated from the results. However, most of them lack the inner drive or motivation to learn since the goals set are indifferent with their personal objectives.
The expectation of receiving external rewards does not, however, decrease a child’s intrinsic motivation. For instance, receiving a reward from a test or subject that a child enjoys learning, does not affect the child’s underlying motivation for learning the subject. Goals may, however, be affected by the extrinsic or intrinsic drive that motivates a child to perform or develop behavior. In order to ensure that a child’s extrinsic and intrinsic motivation does not affect the goals, it is crucial for the teacher to understand the extent or effect that each has on the child’s attitude or behavior.
Importance of teacher expectations on children performance and intrinsic motivation
A child’s performance and intrinsic motivation is entirely a responsibility of the teacher. The motivation of a child is influenced by both an internal and external factors that can start, intensify, sustain, or discourage behavior. A child who is internally motivated participates in activities for own preference, interest, competence or satisfaction while a child who is externally motivated acts for reward.
The expectations that a teacher holds for a child should be in consideration to both the intrinsic and extrinsic values of the child. Teachers should form expectations based on prior knowledge that they have on a child. Such expectations allow a child to set goals that are both internally and externally motivated and inspired, and this builds on the performance. Additionally, they act as reference points that control the attitude and behavior of a child and this enhances behavior and performance development.
Giving a child a challenging task to perform with highlighted expectations also motivates learning and performance. A child who is given challenging tasks or challenging learning experiences is more likely to achieve higher grades than a child given a low level and repetitive activity. The achievement of a child is largely influenced by the learning opportunity that a teacher provides.
How do arts (dance, music, visual art, or theater) promote self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation in children?
Arts foster an atmosphere of attention, engagement, and exploration. Arts education promotes growth in self-confidence, self-identity, and self-esteem. Arts education support growth in academic achievement. Arts act as a form of encouragement and expected behavior. They are a communication means that allow a child to know what is expected, and how to undertake an activity.
According to Bandura’s social learning theory, arts and observational learning create a continuous interaction between behavioral, cognitive, and environmental influences. Students pay more attention to the things that they observe than those that they read. Arts involve a lot of observation, and this is viewed as the first learning step in children. The implication is that children develop their self efficacy and inner or intrinsic motivation from what they observe, see or hear.
Arts are a form of a learning process, which involves emulation, self control, and self regulation. Various forms of art allow children to develop measures to regulate themselves, and this allows them to focus on their goals or what is expected from them. They encourage feedback that a child can internalize as a skill, and use it for independent contexts. This influences their choices, behavior, feelings and attitude towards their goals. It acts as a source of inner force that drives a child in achieving the set goals or expectations.
Arts also promote practice, which is a critical aspect to child’s development. Through what is observed, arts encourage a child to practice behavior, and this builds on their intrinsic values. The form of art observed or exposed to a child should be that which promotes self-efficacy, discipline, and behavior development.
The motivational role of students’ causal attributions regarding performance.
Cognitive and behavioral psychologists agree that motivation is an essential element of learning. How students are motivated, affect their performance and attribute towards a subject or discipline. An attribution explains the cause of a behavior or event. Students form attributions for success in behavior and outcomes. Such attributions are driven by the motivation that students possess. Causal attributions are beneficial or detrimental to one’s motivation. Attributing academic failure or poor performance, for example, may result into hopelessness, future negative performances, lack of striving energy and eventually decreased motivation.
Casual attribution examines a student’s beliefs about event happenings and correlates such events to motivation. In a classroom setting, the understanding of students on past events, for example, performances, influences their ability to control their performances the future. For instance if a student fails an exam, he/she will most probably attribute that failure to causes such as lack of effort, poor instruction or inability. The selected attribute affects such a student’s motivation to engage in a similar learning activity.
Motivation whether intrinsic or extrinsic plays a critical role on, how students regard performance. The form of motivation that a student is exposed to determine whether the student works on failures or gives up on working hard. Students who are well motivated do not focus on their failures but on the causes of these failures and what can be done to achieve their goals. This contributes to a positive attitude that leads to improved performance.
