10.1 Self-Efficacy

When and Where Did I Find It: I didn't really find this term, but it is one that came up in conversation recently and I wanted to remember where I found it.   I went back to my files to locate an article I remembered a student from a LTED 625 (back in 2008) brought to class for his Reciprocal Teaching discussion.  
Full citation
Walker, B.J. (2003).  The cultivation of student self-efficacy in reading and writing.  Reading and Writing Quarterly, 19, 173-187.

What It Means: "Self-efficacy refers to people's beliefs about their capabilities to carry out actions required to achieve a confident level of achievement (Bandura, 1993).  Specifically, they are beliefs that individuals have that they can do something like read a book, write a poem, or dance.  Self-efficacy beliefs refer to specific judgments rather than more global judgments like being a good reader, writer , or dancer.  In fact, self-efficacy often refers to specific situations within a learning environment based on learn goals" (as cited in Walker, 2003, pp. 174).  

Level of Familiarity: Even though I am familiar with this concept, I was glad to find the article so I could refresh my memory of the full meaning of the term.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes. As Walker states, "Understanding the situational nature of self-efficacy can help teachers design classroom procedures that reinforce positive attributions for specific tasks" (p. 174). 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?  I definitely think this is an important concept for teachers to understand.  Again, to quote Walker directly:  "...students who are efficacious are more likely to work hard, to persist, and seek help so they can complete a task.  These same students use cognitive and metacognitive strategies to increase their understanding. ... Self-efficacy is also linked to motivational beliefs like interest, value, and utility, as well s positive affective reactions.  Collectively these characteristics of self-efficacy demonstrate a relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance." (Walker, p. 174)

5.2 Proficient or Expert Learners

When and Where Did I Find It:   This is another term I introduced to my LTED 625 students on the first night of class through the Content Interest Inventory.   The term is found in the same discussion in their Handbook of Reading Research (vol. 3.) in Chapter 19, that I noted in my 5.1 post for this blog.
Full citation Alexander, P.A. & Jetton, T.L. (2000).  Learning from text:  A multidimensional and developmental perspective.  In M.L.Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R.Barr, (Eds.) Handbook of Reading Research (vol.3, pp. 285-310).  Mahwah, NJ:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

What it means: To be an expert or proficient as a learner through reading requires one to "acquire a unique combination of extensive subject-matter knowledge, strategic sophistication, and deep personal interest in the domain and the topic." The authors  think it is important to also note that "Alexander argued that few who set out on the road toward expertise ever achieve this laudable end, because the demands on knowledge, strategic ability, and motivation are so great." (as cited in Alexander & Jetton, 2000, p. 301).  

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this "Developmental View" of learners (specifically how to describer those who are learning from texts) and with the terms, acclimated, competent and proficient/expertise.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes, I do think this descriptor (along with the other two developmental levels) are helpful to know because it allows me to plan instruction in more appropriate ways.  In fact, this entire Developmental Continuum is essential to my work as a professor of Literacy Education.   It is because I (and all of the faculty who work in the Literacy Program) want our students to become LITERACY EXPERTS -- LITERACY SPECIALISTS, that I designed this Content Area Literacy Multigenre Assignment. This assignment is designed in such a way to allow students the "choice" "autonomy" and learning outcomes designed to stimulate creativity or higher level processing" that Alexander and Jetton describe.  

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   I think these terms are useful for my students to know -- both as learners and as teachers.  Knowing these different levels gives them more careful and critical descriptions to self-analyze their own background knowledge and level of preparedness.  At the same time, they can better describe their own students' progress