Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-1-2012

Journal

Perspectives on Medical Education

Volume

1

Issue

2

DOI

10.1007/s40037-012-0012-5

Keywords

Academic achievement; Calibration; Knowledge and skill acquisition; Medical education; Motivation; Self-efficacy

Abstract

© 2012, The Author(s). Self-efficacy is a personal belief in one’s capability to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances. Often described as task-specific self-confidence, self-efficacy has been a key component in theories of motivation and learning in varied contexts. Furthermore, over the last 34 years, educational researchers from diverse fields of inquiry have used the notion of self-efficacy to predict and explain a wide range of human functioning, from athletic skill to academic achievement. This article is not a systematic review of the empirical research on self-efficacy; instead, its purpose is to describe the nature and structure of self-efficacy and provide a brief overview of several instructional implications for medical education. In doing so, this article is meant to encourage medical educators to consider and explicitly address their students’ academic self-efficacy beliefs in an effort to provide more engaging and effective instruction.

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