Learning self-efficacy is one of the most important things you can do to attain success academically and professionally. Self-efficacy is essentially referring to confidence in your ability to plan and execute tasks. Maybe you want to solve a complicated math problem, win a championship game, or write a college essay to be admitted into your dream school. Whatever it may be, self-efficacy is a major component in achieving it. Unlike self-esteem, which relates to your confidence in yourself in all respects, self-efficacy is usually more focused on your confidence in completing specific tasks. 

Thankfully, self-efficacy can be learned and improved. It is possible, for example, to build your confidence in a subject you’re struggling with and to ace that difficult class! Research shows that students with high self-efficacy also have increased levels of academic achievement, thanks to their elevated self-esteem and stronger planning skills. Read to learn about the basics of self-efficacy, how to apply it to your everyday life, and practical steps for how to improve it.

What Is Self-Efficacy?

When you are developing your self-efficacy, there are usually four factors that influence whether you feel positively or negatively about your own abilities. Each is explained in detail below.

Performance Outcomes

In general, your self-efficacy and your raw ability to do a task go hand-in-hand. For instance, if you do poorly on a science test, you may feel less secure in your abilities. Perhaps you won’t want to study as intensely for future tests because you feel defeated or believe your efforts are pointless. However, if you achieve a high score on a science test, you’re more likely to feel better about your ability to do well on future assessments in that subject. As a result, you will be motivated to focus in class and study for exams, knowing your efforts will pay off. Note, even in times of failure, it is equally important to your motivation and growth to celebrate what you have done well and evaluate what needs to be improved upon in a positive way. 

Vicarious Experiences

No person is an island, and seeing other people’s performance on a task may influence how you view your own capabilities. Positive social role models, such as coaches, tutors, teachers, parents, and even your friends, may help you feel less lost in the academic world. If you surround yourself with people who are dedicated to improving, you may feel inspired to do better, as well. However, if you feel disconnected or lack inspiring role models, it may seem like your goals are “out of reach.” Thus, make sure you have people in your life who inspire you to improve.

Social Persuasion

Teachers, classmates, and others in your life may give you feedback – positive and negative – as you are working on a task. A teacher who gives you positive feedback on your math successes and encourages you to believe in your own self-improvement can help improve your self-efficacy; whereas a teacher who lacks confidence in you might not. This could also happen with friends, parents, or others in your life who support or degrade your academic abilities. Surround yourself with people who provide constructive feedback geared towards your growth.

Emotional and Physiological States

Of course, even the best environments and people may not help you develop self-efficacy if you’re struggling with your emotions and mental health. If you feel anxious about a presentation, for example, your heart rate may increase and you might feel so emotionally overwhelmed that it’s difficult to perform. Likewise, feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation may demolish your general self-confidence, making it harder to trust your own competence. Consider discussing sources of anxiety or depression with a counselor so as to develop healthy coping strategies for those emotional lows.

Learning Self-Efficacy

Now that you know the factors that go into building your self-efficacy, you can learn how to feel more confident about facing challenges. Build strong self-efficacy with just three steps:

1st – Start With Goals

Begin by establishing short-term SMART goals for yourself with a clear plan of action. SMART goals are specific (focus on distinct projects, classes, etc.), measurable (“X% on this assessment”), achievable (raising a grade from a C to a B), relevant (“This will help me to graduate in time”), and time-bound (set a clear deadline). The goal of “Improve my grades” is not as valuable as the SMART goal of “Obtain a 90% or higher on all assessments so that I can get an A in my history class and raise my GPA to 3.5, which is required to be admitted into my dream college.” Setting SMART goals is the first step to achieving them.

For guidance in this process, you can ask a teacher or tutor for help in breaking down your goals (such as getting a B or higher in English class this semester) into smaller goals (like, reviewing vocabulary daily, submitting completed homework on time, and preparing a study guide for each test). Start with one short-term goal at a time and don’t try to rush ahead. It’s more important to learn how to do things well than how to do them quickly.

2nd – Surround Yourself With Mentors

Seek out frequent, supportive feedback from someone who knows you well. You can ask your teacher for help outside of class, talk with a peer to hold you accountable or seek out a tutor or peer mentor to look over your tasks and provide suggestions. Inform your mentor(s) of your goals and ask for feedback as you try to reach them. Read our article on the benefits of childhood mentors to learn more about what a solid mentorship relationship can do to improve your self-efficacy.

Also remember that your friends have a huge influence on you, as well. Friends who tease you for focusing on school or who are failing their own classes may not be as positive of an influence as those who support your goals and seek to improve themselves. Connect with friends who inspire and motivate you, who have high self-efficacy, and who support your growth.

3rd – Take Care Of Yourself

While focusing on learning, growth, and self-improvement is great, you may sometimes feel overwhelmed and stressed. Make sure that you set realistic goals with gradual improvements. As the old saying goes, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Remember that it is more important to pace yourself and commit to long-term change than it is to change quickly. Maintain a growth mindset–

Also, make time for your mental health, as this can aid in improving your self-efficacy too. Consider including daily mindfulness practices, such as meditation or calming sensory practices. Take an hour or so every day to engage in something you enjoy, like playing your favorite video game, hanging out with your friends or pets, or just having a nice cup of tea outside on your porch. Practice gratitude for these small things, and it will help you gain a more positive mindset to recharge for the difficult moments.

If you find that you need more help, consider looking into counseling services in or out of school. Counselors can help you build a “safe space” to relax and reflect. They may also help you develop coping strategies so you can reduce your stress levels in a productive way. 

Conclusion

Learning self-efficacy is actually quite simple when broken down. There are four major components influencing self-efficacy and three easy ways to improve your self-efficacy. With the help of SMART goals, supportive friends and mentors, and self-care, you will find it easier to fight self-doubt and conquer challenges!

If you’d like to help other students improve their self-efficacy, support Educate. Radiate. Elevate. We are a nonprofit organization that offers tutoring to students from underserved communities – at no cost to their families. In addition to academic support, we help students build core executive function and metacognition skills – including self-efficacy, of course! We are ready to provide a supportive, caring environment for any underserved student! To support our tutoring program, you can donate, volunteer, or partner!