SE, Cognition and Self-Regulating Capabilities

This is my third week teaching Spanish 1 and 2 at a local high school, while their "real" teacher is on maternity leave. After grading quizzes last week, I noticed a 26% difference in average quiz scores between two classes (6^thperiod=61% and 7^thperiod=87%). Not surprisingly, quiz scores seemed to generally correlate with quarter grades. I wondered WHY such a huge disparity. 6^thperiod: sweet kids, good attitudes, energetic, talkative, interested in participating, but not really interested in being challenged or performing well. 7^thperiod: very quiet, studious and interested in getting the right answers.  I could speculate that 6^thperiod has lower self-efficacy than 7^thperiod.  In what practical ways can I help 6^thperiod students increase self-efficacy?   I see the dynamics of negative collective efficacy play out on a daily basis. 

I have found it interesting to tie my recent experiences to Bandura’s article, “Perceived Self-Efficacy in Cognitive Development and Functioning."  Students who regard themselves as highly efficacious attribute their failures to insufficient effort. Students who receive a low-grade know they can achieve a better grade, quickly decide they should have put more effort into studying or asking for help in preparing.  The students will exert greater effort when faced with challenges. Alternatively, those who regard themselves as inefficacious attribute their failure to low ability.  Students who receive a low grade believe they could not have received a higher grade and ultimately conclude that they have low ability.  These students slacken their efforts or give up quickly in the face of adversity. Bandura suggests that educators are responsible to teach students self-regulatory capabilities to educate themselves.  

I would like to better understand the specific self-regulating capabilities. Bandura suggests that it is an educator’s professional responsibility to equip students with self-regulating skills that help students educate themselves. “The higher the students’ self-regulatory efficacy, the ore assure they were to master academic subjects.”  If self-regulation refers to our ability to manage our energy, emotions, attention, and behavior in ways that are socially acceptable and help us to achieve our goals, then what specific ways should educators help students grow in these areas? I might offer the following suggestions: creating a positive environment, clarify expectations on schedules/procedures, scaffolding academic material, modeling appropriate behavior ahead of time, and discussion/reflection of past behaviors. I would love to hear additional practical suggestions. 

My school’s intervention program has had great success in recent years, partnering with struggling students on an individual basis.  They are experts at helping students to identify & take ownership of their own weaknesses, by giving them tools to learn in the face of challenges, and teaching them how to advocate for themselves.  In my opinion, all students should have a similar type of guidance/encouragement.   Intentional, positive reinforcement is impactful. Similar to the intervention department’s model, teachers could be intentional to meet with students individually, sharing insights they see in the students’ performance; strengths and weaknesses; providing an opportunity to address concerns/struggles from the student and offer tools that would assist that student in that specific class. 

I am interested to discuss Bandura’s thoughts on Self-Efficacy with respect to cognition… and ideas on helping students to learn self-regulating capabilities.