How to Help Develop Self-Efficacy in Children

Self-efficacy is the belief in yourself that you are capable of achieving a goal. As therapists, teachers, and parents we can help with the development of self-efficacy in children to teach them to persevere by reinforcing their strengths and helping establish steps to reach their goals. Higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with increased positive thinking, greater resilience, higher motivation, increased effort and decreased stress.

Four Building Blocks of Self-Efficacy in Children

During early childhood, four main building blocks of self-efficacy in children begin to develop:

Mastery Experiences: When a child performs a task successfully, it strengthens his/her sense of self-efficacy. On the contrary, when a child is unsuccessful at a task, it decreased his/her sense of self-efficacy. This is why providing children with “just right” challenges is so beneficial.
Social Modeling: When children observe their peers work hard and accomplish a task, it helps increase their belief in themselves that they can accomplish the task too.
Social Persuasion: When children receive specific verbal encouragement from others that they will be successful, it helps them believe that they have the skills and capabilities to succeed.
Psychological Responses: A positive mood can influence your abilities to succeed.

Ways to Help Enhance Self-Efficacy in Children

Here are several ways therapists, teachers, and parents can help enhance self-efficacy in children. Teach children to:

recognize and challenge negative thoughts by replacing the negative thought with a truthful, positive thought.
establish achievable goals.
celebrate small and big successes.

Adults and peers can help children by:

using specific praise regarding the task i.e. “you did well because you tried three times to open the container without giving up.”
providing just-right activities. Children need to be involved in the decision-making process to use and practice new skills that are challenging but achievable.
being honest. Do not disregard the situation if the child does not succeed. Acknowledge the situation and offer suggestions for the child to use their strengths the next time.
praising effort.
modeling self-efficacy themselves.

Growth Mindset and Self-Efficacy

Growth mindset and self-efficacy are closely related but slightly different. Children who believe that with effort their skills will improve may have a growth mindset. Children need both self-efficacy beliefe in themselves to learn new skills) coupled with a growth mindset (with effort my skills will improve). By helping children develop self-efficacy and a growth mindset they can overcome challenges, recognize their strengths, put forth effort and achieve their goals.

Growth Mindset Curriculum: This Growth Mindset curriculum, created by Thia Triggs, school-based Occupational Therapist, includes 5 units that will help you to support your children in developing a Growth Mindset FIND OUT MORE.

Want to encourage positive thinking? Check out Positive Affirmations to empower children to realize their full potential.

References:

Cherry, Kendra. Self Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters. Retrieved from the web on 5/21/18 at https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954.

National Association of School Psychologists. Self-Efficacy: Helping Children Believe They Can Succeed. Communiqué Handout: November, Volume 39, Number 3. Retrieved from the web on 5/21/18 at https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/cms/lib3/ga01000373/centricity/domain/31/self-efficacy_helping_children_believe_they_can_suceed.pdf