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68 CHAPTER 3important belief is self-efficacy, which refers to the evaluation students
have about their abilities or skills to successfully complete a task (Ban-
dura, 1982). The key question that determines self-efficacy is: “Am I
capable of succeeding at this task?”
Educational researchers have found that efficacy beliefs are impor-
tant predictors of student motivation and self-managed behaviors
(Schunk, 1991). Students with high efficacy are more likely than their
low-efficacy counterparts to choose difficult tasks, expend greater
effort, persist longer, use more complex learning strategies, and expe-
rience less fear and anxiety regarding academic tasks.
Self-efficacy is situation specific. A student may have a high self-
efficacy for completing a term paper in a psychology course but a low
sense of efficacy regarding his or her performance on multiple-choice
questions that test knowledge of different learning theories. A student
may judge him or herself to be very competent at basketball but not
at tennis. We have efficacy beliefs about each task we undertake.
I mentioned in the first chapter that my primary goal is to help you
become a more successful learner. An important step is to help you
feel more competent to excel in the different academic tasks you expe-
rience. Setting goals is one way to enhance your sense of efficacy. As
you work on academic tasks, you should determine your progress by
analyzing your performance according to your goals. Recognizing that
you are making progress toward your goals can validate your initial
sense of self-efficacy and maintain your behavior as you move toward
goal attainment. Learning how to use different learning strategies is
another way to enhance your sense of efficacy.
Monitoring your self-efficacy on tasks can focus attention on your
beliefs about the effectiveness of your study methods. Zimmerman,
Bonner, and Kovach (1996) suggested a procedure that can be used
for quizzes or homework assignments. Before taking your next quiz
or exam, read all of the questions and estimate your ability to answer
the questions on a 10-point scale. The lower the score, the less com-
petent you feel; the higher the score, the more competent you feel.
Compare your actual score on the quizzes or exams with your effi-
cacy scores. Your self-efficacy ratings can operate like a thermostat,
providing information you can use to modify or change your learn-
ing and study behavior. For example, how would you explain a situ-
ation in which your efficacy ratings are always higher than your actual
test scores, or where your efficacy ratings are always lower than your
actual test scores?
Self-efficacy monitoring helps you gain accuracy in predicting your
learning. If you misjudge your self-efficacy, you might attempt to
adjust your future standards. If quizzes or exams are more demand-
ing than you expect, you may need to study harder to succeed. Rat-
ing your efficacy too low or being overly optimistic about your