Log onto the following web site to see an activity that guides a group of learners in thinking about the forces that hinder and help them to achieve their goals. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/%7Encsall/fob/2000/focteach.html

View the Retention through Redirection video (10 minutes). What positive forces helped Rijha move in the direction of her goal? What negative forces steered her away from her goal?

Self-Efficacy

The second support we will explore briefly is self-efficacy, which for the purposes of this study is defined as the feeling of being able to accomplish a task within the context of the LBS program. While the term may be new, the concept is not. Programs have always focused efforts on recognizing learners’ program successes and accomplishments. See Appendix M for sample of a certificate that celebrates the learner’s completion of an LBS level.

Self-efficacy is strongly linked to self-direction. This means that learners should be engaged in learning and demonstration activities that encourage them to make decisions and solve problems on their own. Activities should be designed, therefore, to promote self-reflection and self-confidence.

An article by Barell mentions specific strategies to promote self-efficacy. One is to encourage learners to set goals for their own personal development. This is very much connected to the self-direction part of the Self-Management/Self-Direction learning outcome and is associated with three features in particular: self-confidence building skills, personal advocacy and self-motivation skills.

Check the following web site to learn more about self-efficacy and how it was used in the NSCALL study. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/%7Encsall/fob/2000/comings.html