"Efficacy - the right construct for our time"

Much of what we do and desire to do in teaching and learning is build efficacy in our learners. We may not always use that exact term. Efficacy is a powerful construct (concept) that impacts each of us on a daily basis. An aim of education is setting in motion individuals that have confidence, are motivated, and aspire to be successful in all aspects of life.

Too often we tend to focus on building esteem in our learners when it should be efficacy. Where esteem is about perceptions, feelings about others and one self, efficacy is about confidence built from experiences. I certainly don’t want to over simplify either, however, it seems that both enhance, support, build, reinforce, and create a powerful presence of the individual as well as community.

That is, we want students to know they can, with confidence take risks with learning – knowing at times they will not be successful. Knowing full well they can succeed, have succeeded and will succeed. They have a confidence that their teacher is right there to support to them when success is not achieved at first try. Equally, the learner knows that the teacher will not accept mediocrity or dismiss sub standard or under performance.

Learners know that failure isn’t about quitting or giving up or in. Rather, learners with efficacy expect to be stretched, challenged beyond their perceived limitations because they have experience with learning. They know failure is only temporary not permanent.

We know from the efficacy research that teachers, too have a need for efficacy. Most, if not all teacher efficacy comes from learner efficacy. When students are successful as a result – a direct result of a teacher, teacher efficacy builds. Teacher efficacy, like learner efficacy develops over time. Foundational is knowing that one can and will make a difference in the lives of others. It comes from taking risks as well. It comes from knowing one has a supportive coach, colleague that will be there for them when something doesn’t work as intended or cheers them for success. Equally necessary is “truth” telling about performance – good, better, and best as well as areas that must improve.

Simply put, learner efficacy fuels teacher efficacy that in turn drives deeper more empowered efficacy in the learner.

How does efficacy impact leadership?

There is leadership efficacy. Not surprisingly, leader efficacy is derived in much the same way as learner and teacher efficacy. When one sees the direct impact, effect, change or etc. in others resultant from leadership it builds efficacy. The confidence from knowing that one can and will make a difference is powerful for all.

Efficacy builds motivation. Motivation builds confidence. Confidence builds capacity for risk – risk to innovate, imagine, create, and stretch from comfort zones and conveniences.

In so much that efficacy is an underlying objective of our school system, we have much to do in building efficacy in all our staff, in all our schools, and at all levels in our organization. To do so will require an unprecedented effort to build capacity within our schools, our school system, and our community.

Building capacity requires a different mindset than what currently exists in many of our classrooms and schools.

As I have written before mindsets influence directly and indirectly our behaviors. Consider this thought from Albert Bandura (1986, p. 395), "People who regard themselves as highly efficacious act, think, and feel differently from those who perceive themselves as inefficacious. They produce their own future, rather than simply foretell it”.

Designing a preferred future, one that proactively takes the necessary steps, risks that transformation requires, is dependent heavily on efficacy. Our challenge is understanding and acting therefore to build efficacy not at the expense of esteem. Rather, without efficacy, esteem is simply a feeling without any foundation, any proof, or evidence to support the feeling. Stay tuned, in the weeks ahead, we will begin exploring myriad ways to build efficacy.