Self-Efficacy and Foreign Language Education Nicole Mills [email protected] National Middle East...

Self-Efficacy and Foreign Language Education

Nicole [email protected]

National Middle East Language Resource CenterBrigham Young University April 19, 2013

Presentation What is Self-Efficacy?

What does self-efficacy do?

Where does self-efficacy come from?

What are current areas of self-efficacy research?

Why would you assess self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom?

How do you assess self-efficacy?

What are the results of self-efficacy research in foreign language learning?

How does current self-efficacy research link to the teaching of less commonly taught languages?

How do I foster self-efficacy in the LCTL classroom?

What is Self-Efficacy?

Social Cognitive Theory

Individuals possess a system of self-beliefs that enables them to exercise control over their thoughts, feelings, and actions

Self-Efficacy

“People’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances” (Bandura, 1997)

Self-Efficacy

“What people think, believe, and feel affects how they behave” (Bandura, 1986)

Self-efficacy is often a better predictor of success than actual abilities

Beginning with Graham & Weiner’s review of motivational research in 1996, we have learned that students’ self-efficacy more consistently predicts academic performance over and above other motivational constructs

Great voices of self-efficacy

“They are able who think they are able” – Virgil (ancient Roman poet)

Great voices of self-efficacy“A man who doubts himself is like

a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear

arms against himself. He makes failure certain by him being the

first person convinced of it.” – Alexandre Dumas (French author)

Great voices of self-efficacy

“Whether you think that you can or you can’t, you’re usually right.” – Henry Ford (Founder, Ford Motor Company)

Great voices of self-efficacy“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi (activist)

Great Voices of Self-Efficacy

“Clearly it is not simply a matter of how capable one is, but of how capable one believes oneself to be.” – Frank Pajares (Former associate professor of educational psychology, Emory University)


Influences pursued courses of action and decisions

Influences the degree of expended effort Influences the level of perseverance and

resilience to adversity in the face of obstacles

Influences affective states Influences the degree of success realized -Bandura, 1997

Where does self-efficacy come from?

Where does self-efficacy come from?Sources of Self-Efficacy:

Mastery Experiences Vicarious Experiences Emotional States Social/ Verbal Persuasions

(Bandura, 1997)

Mastery Experiences

Outcomes perceived as successful raise self-efficacy, those interpreted as failures lower self-efficacy

Individuals… Engage in activities Interpret the results of their actions Develop beliefs about their capabilities to

engage in subsequent tasks and activities

Vicarious Experiences

Observations of others

Effects of Modeling

If the model’s attributes are similar to their own

(ex: peers, etc.), the influence of the vicarious experience is strong

Emotional States

Emotions and Feelings experienced during task influence self-efficacy beliefs and performance

Negative thoughts/ Fears often ensure inadequate performance

Verbal Persuasions

Feedback from others (teachers? Peers? Mentors?)

Positive persuasions encourage & empower

Negative persuasions defeat and weaken SE beliefs

Importance of appropriate, rigorous, and non-debilitating feedback

What are current areas of self-efficacy research?

Current areas of self-efficacy research Career self-efficacy Sports self-efficacy Self-efficacy and diets Self-efficacy and pain management Parental self-efficacy Self-efficacy and Depression Gender gaps and Self-efficacy Teacher Self-efficacy Student Self-efficacy

Why would you assess self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom?

Why would you assess self-efficacy in the foreign language classroom? Evaluate students’ perceived competence in the course objectives

Evaluate the influence of a new pedagogical approach on students’ self-efficacy (pre vs. post)

Evaluate the influence of pedagogical interventions (ex: workshops, etc.) on students’ or teachers’ self-efficacy

Evaluate the influence of teaching learning strategy techniques (ex: reading strategies, etc.) on students’ self-efficacy

Longitudinal evaluation of self-efficacy beliefs (language requirement?)

Other reasons?

How do you assess self-efficacy?

How do you assess self-efficacy?(quantitatively) Creation of self-efficacy questionnaires:

The questions should be phrased in terms of “can do” as opposed to “will do”

Questions should be linked to the outcome measure or the outcome objectives

“How certain are you that you can…”

“Rate your degree of confidence by recording a number from 0 to 100”

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Cannot Moderately Highly CertainDo at all Certain can do can do

What are the results of self-efficacy research in foreign language learning?

Self-efficacy references in foreign language learningStudent self-efficacy beliefs:

Self-efficacy of college intermediate French students: Relation to Motivation and Achievement (Mills, Pajares, & Herron, 2007)

A Re-evaluation of the Role of Anxiety: Self-efficacy, Anxiety, & their Relation to Reading & Listening Proficiency (Mills, Pajares, &Herron, 2006)

A Guide du Routard Simulation: Increasing Self-Efficacy in the Standards through Project-based Learning (Mills, 2009)

Global Simulation and the Writing Self-beliefs of Intermediate French Students (Mills & Péron, 2009)*

Longitudinal Perceptions of Efficacy and Value in the French Language Requirement (Mills, November 2010) *

Learning strategies and self-efficacy: Learner strategies and self-efficacy: Making the connection (Graham, 2007)Strategy instruction in listening for lower-intermediate learners (Graham, & Macaro, 2008)

Teacher self-efficacy beliefs: Teacher Self-efficacy of Graduate Teaching Assistants of French (native vs. non-native) (Mills & Allen, 2007)Teacher self-efficacy in literature of teaching assistants of French (Mills, 2011)*Action Research: Bridging Theory and Practice (Mills, 2013)

Results from Self-Efficacy ResearchThree Sample Research Studies:

Global Simulation and the Writing Self-beliefs of Intermediate French Students (Mills & Péron, 2009) (quantitative)

Longitudinal Perceptions of Efficacy and Value in the French Language Requirement (Mills, 2010) * (quantitative)

Teaching assistants’ self-efficacy in teaching literature: Sources, personal assessments, and consequences (Mills, 2011)* (qualitative)

How can you evaluate the influence of a new pedagogical approach or new curriculum on students’ self-efficacy?

Global simulation and the development of writing self-efficacy in French

Mills & Péron, 2009International Journal of Applied Linguistics

Global simulation and the development of writing self-efficacy in French (Mills & Péron, 2009) Global Simulation: Students create a fictive yet

culturally grounded world, assume the role of a self-developed character, and collaborate with fellow community members (Magnin, 1997)

“For this project , you will become the tenants of a Parisian building, located in the Montmartre quarter and you will write a book of your memoirs of the events in the building. As such, you are going to pretend to be a French or francophone person living in France. You will develop your own character and tell the story of his/her life in the first person.” (- Mélanie Péron)

Global simulation and the development of writing self-efficacy in French This study evaluated how global simulation

influenced the development of intermediate-French students’ writing self-beliefs (writing self-efficacy*)

Participants include 134 students enrolled in an Intermediate French I global simulation curriculum

Writing self-efficacy evaluated at the beginning (PRE) and end of the semester (POST)

“Writing self-efficacy beliefs are defined as individuals’ judgments of their competence in writing, specifically their judgments of their ability to write different writing tasks and of their possession of various writing skills” - Pajares & Johnson

Global simulation and the development of writing self-efficacy in French Composition Grading Criteria

Content Grammar Creativity Expression Organization

Sample Writing Self-Efficacy QuestionnaireDirections: Please use the following scale to answer the

following statements. Circle the number that best describes how sure you are that you can perform each of the French writing skills below.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70___ 80_____90___100

No chance Completely CertainContent (sample items)

•Write in French about a variety of topics with precision

and detail

•Describe personal experiences fully when writing in French

•Present arguments or points of view accurately and

effectively when writing in French

Sample Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaire Expression (sample items): How sure are you

that you can…

• Write in French with fluency and ease of expression

• Write in French with a variety and complexity of

structures

• Vary sentence lengths and patterns when writing in

French

• Write in French using a wide range of vocabulary

Sample Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Grammar (sample items): How sure are you that you can…

• Write in French with a good control of a full range of

grammatical structures

• Make few conjugation errors when writing in French

• Make few agreement errors when writing in French

• Make few verb tense errors when writing in French

• Make few errors in spelling when writing in French

• Make few grammatical errors when writing in French

Sample Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Organization (sample items) : How sure are you that you can…

Creativity (sample items) : How sure are you that you can…

• Write in French with an underlying logical organization

• Write with a clear sense of beginning and closure

• Accurately and effectively use transitions when writing

in French

• Write in French with creativity.

• Interest and engage the reader when writing in French

Global simulation and the development of writing self-efficacy in French

Table . Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs Before and After Global Simulation

_________________________________________________________ Scale Pretest Mean Posttest Mean

Writing self-efficacy (WSE) 59.6 73.5 WSE Creativity 61.4 78.2 WSE Organization 63.7 78.3 WSE Grammar 56.6 68.8

WSE Content 62.2 76.1 WSE Expression 57.3 70.9

___________________________________________________________

RESULTS:

Significant differences were found in Intermediate French students’ writing self-efficacy in grammar, content, creativity, expression, and organization (pre post)

Development of Writing Self-Efficacy

IMPLICATIONS: Why might global simulation enhance students’ self-efficacy to write creatively? Creative nature of writing assignments

Choice of topics to motivate students and promote exploration (Campbell, 1998; Walker 2003)

Liberation from own identity – exploration of a new, altered, or desired self

IMPLICATIONS: Why might global simulation enhance students’ self-efficacy to write in an organized manner?

Consistent writing practice & instructors’ guiding comments on students’ first drafts

Writing workshops

IMPLICATIONS: Why might global simulation enhance students’ self-efficacy to write with grammatical accuracy? Independent exploration of grammar websites & resources

for personal grammar questions

Grading rubrics focused on grammatical precision in first drafts (conjugations

Process-oriented writing

IMPLICATIONS: Why might global simulation enhance students’ self-efficacy to appropriately communicate content? Collective writing process

Personal investment in character’s identity

Progressive development of the complexity of the character throughout the global simulation experience

Choice of topics that attempt to “hook students” (Campbell, 1998; Walker, 2003)

Learners are provided with choice (Walker, 2003)

IMPLICATIONS: Why might global simulation enhance students’ self-efficacy to write with enhanced expression?

Liberation from elementary-level writing (simple sentence structures, simple ideas, etc.)

Capacity to express themselves in French writing in similar ways as they do when writing in English

Grading procedure which encourages development of expression

Use of textual references as models

Ability to write their persona into the text

How can we use self-efficacy to assess students’ perceived development in the 5 Cs of the Standards of FL learning from the beginning to the end of the language requirement?

Longitudinal Perceptions of Efficacy and Value in the Language Requirement

Mills, November 2010ACTFL

Longitudinal Perceptions of Efficacy and Value in the French Language Requirement

Longitudinal Evaluation of students’ perceived efficacy in relation to the Standards of Foreign Language learning

1. Is there a change in French students’ self-efficacy to Communicate in French from the beginning to the end of the language requirement?

2. Is there a change in French students’ self-efficacy in their understanding of the practices, perspectives and products of the French Culture?

3. Is there a change in French students’ self-efficacy to make Connections between French and other disciplines?

4. Is there a change in French students’ self-efficacy to understand the French language and culture through Comparisons to their own language and culture?

5. Is there a change in French students’ self-efficacy to participate in francophone Communities at home and around the world?


Approximately 130 students participating in one of the two sequences (Fall 2007-Spring 2009):

Sequence A:

Beginning French I Beginning French II Intermediate I Intermediate II

Sequence B:

French for False Beginners Intermediate French I Intermediate French II

Sample Self-efficacy Items: Standards of FL Learning On a scale from 0 (no chance) to 100 (completely certain),

how sure are you that you can perform each of the tasks below with reasonable grammatical accuracy, fluency, and ease? Remember that you may use any number between 0 and 100.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

No 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chance Certain Certain Certain Certain Certain

Communication: Interpersonal (Sample items)

• I can introduce someone and use basic greetings and leave-taking expressions (Oral)

• I can actively participate in a debate (Oral)

• I can participate in extended written chat conversations. (Writing)

• I can express needs in written form. (Writing)

Sample Self-efficacy Items: Standards of FL Learning

Communication: Interpretive (Sample items)

I can understand the main points in short newspaper articles about current and familiar topics. (reading)

I can understand literary texts with a basic vocabulary and a simple straightforward plot. (reading)

I can understand the details of most TV shows (listening)

I can understand the main ideas of a short documentary (listening)


Communication: Presentational (Sample items)

I can write a review of a short film (writing)

I can write an analytical essay (writing)

I can present rehearsed skits. (oral)

I can give prepared presentations about a cultural topic. (oral)


Culture: Products, Practices, Perspectives (sample items)

I am familiar with the role of contemporary figures in the French/ francophone culture. (Perspectives)

I can describe customs and traditions of the target culture. (practices)

I can recognize important monuments and symbols of French and francophone culture. (products)


Connections (sample items)

I can relate content from other subject areas (history, politics, economics, literature) to topics discussed in French class.

I can discuss how members of the French/francophone culture view the United States.

Comparisons (sample items)

I can compare and contrast social conventions of the target culture with those of my own culture.

I can analyze and explain local, regional, and national differences in the countries where French is spoken and compare it to my own country.


Self-Efficacy Beliefs Before and After Beginning French I ____________________________________________________________________

Scale Pretest Mean Posttest Mean

Self-efficacy: Communication Interpersonal Oral 10.9 63.6 Interpersonal Writing 4.1 59.4 Presentation Speaking 9.8 62.7 Presentation Writing 4.2 50.0 Interpretive Listening 7.2 54.2 Interpretive Reading 11.5 69.1

Self-efficacy: Culture Products 9.9 46.2 Practices 9.9 49.3 Perspectives 11.9 38.0

Self-efficacy: Communities 27.6 58.8 Self-efficacy: Comparisons 23.8 49.7 Self-efficacy: Connections 50.0 66.0

______________________________________________________________________

Self-Efficacy in Communication

Change French 110 to French 140: +54.6

Statistically Significant change: Fr110, Fr120, Fr130, sequence

01020

3040506070

8090

100

Pre-Fr110 Post-Fr110




SE in Communication

Self-Efficacy in Communication

Self-Efficacy in Communication means at the end of the language requirement: Interpersonal mode in writing: 81.1* Interpersonal mode in speaking: 79.3 Interpretive mode in reading: 78.7 Presentational mode in writing: 77.3 Presentational mode in speaking: 70.1 Interpretive mode in Listening: 67.2

Self-Efficacy in Culture

Change French 110 to French 140: +56.8Statistically Significant change: Fr110, Fr120, Fr130, Fr140, sequence

010

203040

50607080

90100

Pre-Fr110

Post-Fr110

Pre-Fr120

Post-Fr120

Pre-Fr130

Post-Fr130

Pre-Fr140

Post-Fr140

SE in Culture

Self-Efficacy in Culture

Similar trends in increased perceived competence from the beginning to the end of the language requirement in the:

cultural practices (mean change= 40.2 points) cultural products (mean change =37.2 points) cultural perspectives (mean change =35.4 points)

Self-Efficacy in Culture means at the end of the language requirement:

Cultural practices: 83.1 Cultural products: 80.1 Cultural perspectives: 70.9*

Self-Efficacy in Connections

Change French 110 to French 140: +58.9Statistically Significant change: Fr110, Fr120, Fr130, Fr140, sequence

010

203040

50607080

90100

Pre-Fr110

Post-Fr110

Pre-Fr120

Post-Fr120

Pre-Fr130

Post-Fr130

Pre-Fr140

Post-Fr140

SE in Connections

Self-Efficacy in Comparisons

Change French 110 to French 140: +53.3Statistically Significant change: Fr110, Fr120, Fr130, sequence

010

203040

50607080

90100

Pre-Fr110

Post-Fr110

Pre-Fr120

Post-Fr120

Pre-Fr130

Post-Fr130

Pre-Fr140

Post-Fr140

SE in Comparisons

Self-Efficacy in Communities

Change French 110 to French 140: +54.9Statistically Significant change: Fr110, Fr120, Fr130, sequence

010

203040

50607080

90100

Pre-Fr110

Post-Fr110

Pre-Fr120

Post-Fr120

Pre-Fr130

Post-Fr130

Pre-Fr140

Post-Fr140

SE in Communities

Exploratory Analyses: Self-Efficacy

Same Exploratory Analyses conducted for Self-efficacy (SE)

Standard Mean change for Men

Mean Change for Women

SE in Culture* 27.3 points 48.3 points

SE in Connections*

13.6 points 40.8 points

SE in Comparisons*


SE in Communities *


*Significant Differences by gender.

**No calculated significant differences by gender in SE in Communication

Targeting course objectives: Example of French 121 (French for

False beginners) Particular course objectives were separated and evaluated independently to determine whether students perceive a greater sense of competence in their ability to perform these functions or tasks from the beginning to the end of French 121.

Exploratory Analyses: Item Analyses by Course Despite gains made in cultural understanding (mean increase= +24.4),

the students did not perceive themselves as competent in cultural understanding (mean=64.8) as in communication (mean=79.0).

At the end of French 121, students felt most confident in the following Culture items:

“I can provide information about French lodging and housing” (cultural products)

“I can provide information about French/ francophone cuisine.” (cultural products)

“I can research, plan, and participate in a cultural event” (cultural practices)

“I can identify patterns of behavior typically associated with the culture such as eating and shopping customs, leisure activities, and national holidays” (cultural practices)

“I can participate in real or simulated cultural events (i.e., family activities and holiday celebrations. (cultural practices)”

Exploratory Analyses: Item Analyses by Course At the end of French 121, students felt least confident in the

following Culture items (all associated with cultural perspectives) :

“I can recognize how practices and products (politics, art, architecture, music and literature) reflect the viewpoints of people in French-speaking countries”

“I am familiar with the role of contemporary and historical events in French / francophone culture”

“I am familiar with the role of historical people in the French / francophone culture.”

“I am familiar with the role of contemporary figures in the French/ francophone culture.”

Exploratory Analyses Conclusions

Curricular Revisions?

Greater emphasis on culture?

Greater emphasis on cultural perspectives?

Inclusion of objectives within syllabus linked to cultural understanding and cultural perspectives?

Future Applications

“How can departments know if their students attain [learning] outcomes, and to what extent?”

- Byrnes (2006), The Outcomes of Collegiate Foreign Language Programs: Specifications,

Assessment, Evaluation

Results from questionnaires and item analyses can be evaluated by course coordinators and Director of language programs

Questionnaires used for this project may be easily adapted and used by other languages (Arabic, Persian, etc.)

Information about students’ perceived levels of competence and value in the Standards of Foreign Language Learning may provide valuable information and maintain the importance of the language requirement to future students, the Department , and the Administration

How can we further explore the self-efficacy beliefs of foreign language teachers?

Teaching assistants’ self-efficacy in teaching literature: Sources, personal assessments, and consequences

Mills, 2011Modern Language Journal

Teacher self-efficacy

Teacher self-efficacy beliefs refer to teachers’ judgments of their capabilities to bring about desired outcomes related to student learning and engagement

Do TAs believe there is a two-tiered system? How does it influence the professionalization

and socialization of graduate students? Do they perceive literary study and instruction as

distinctly different from language pedagogy ? (Byrnes, 2001)

How do TAs perceive themselves as teachers of literature?

How do they perceive their competency as “language” versus “literature” instructors?

What are the sources and consequences of their beliefs?

Teacher self-efficacy

The Cyclical Nature of Teacher Efficacy, from Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy (1998)

Participants

Semi-structured Interview based on Teacher self-efficacy model and completion of teacher self-efficacy in literature Likert scale questionnaire

10 participants enrolled in doctoral program in French literature 1 native speaker/ 9 non-native speakers One 2nd year participant Four 3rd year participants Three 4th year participants Two 5th year participants

Sources of Teacher Self-Efficacy in Literature

How do you know how to teach literature?

Observations of literature professors 8 comments

- observation of model professors 3 comments

- observation of anti-models 5 comments

Knowledge of language pedagogy only 4 comments

Trial and Error 3 comments Experience as a literature student 2 comments

Common Sense 1 comment

Mastery Experiences

Have you had successful experiences teaching literature?

Have taught texts in language classes but not “Literature” 8 comments

Taught texts at the intermediate level 8 comments

- focus only on comprehension 5 comments

- do not focus on analysis 3 comments

No opportunity to teach literature 5 comments

Experience teaching literature at high school level or as a TA 4 comments

Taught texts at the elementary level 2 comments

Verbal Persuasions

Have you received feedback from others about your teaching of literature?

No 5 comments - only for teaching “language” 5 comments

Very little 3 comments - praise from teacher that he/she TA’d for 1 comment - praise from students (as TA) 1 comment - feedback when giving presentations as graduate student 1 comment

Yes 2 comments

Vicarious Experiences

Are you influenced by other professors in your teaching of literature?

Yes 10 comments

- observation of class structure 7 comments - observation of balancing discussion/ participation 5 comments - observation of instructor errors/ ineffective practices 3 comments - observation of content presentation 2 comments - observation of formulation of guiding questions 2 comments - observation of what causes student anxiety 2 comments - observation of teacher’s feedback 2 comments - observation of teacher enthusiasm 1 comments

Emotional Indicators

How do you feel while you’re teaching literature?Unsure 7 comments - Project that in the future it will feel great 7 comments - depends on literature content 1 comment - minimal experience 1 comment - anxiety for future position/ job 1 comment - anxiety for the job market 1 comment

Happy/ Energized 3 commentsLess confident 2 comments - unaware of strategies for teaching literature 1 comment - minimal experience teaching literature 1 commentSatisfied 2 commentCompetent 1 comment

Emotional Indicators

“It’s hard to say just because I’ve had a lot more experience with the language side, so I have a lot more data points, you know, in my memory. In terms of how I feel about teaching literature versus language, I think that I would feel a lot less secure… but, you know, in reality, I think all of the graduate students just kind of feel like, “How are we…?” You know, we’ll do it because you always overcome your difficulties…”

Analysis of Teaching Task

How well do you feel that you teach literature?

Less confident in ability to teach literature 6 comments - no knowledge of explicit models/ methods 3 comments - no experience 4 comments - no feedback 1 comment - based only on observation of other literature instructors 1 comment- no direct line between language and literature teaching 1 comment

Projects future competence to teach literature 4 comments - passion for literature 3 comments- knowledge of language pedagogy may transfer to literature instruction 2

comments- will gain confidence with practice/ experience 1 comment

Analysis of Teaching Task

“I feel that I gain an important skill set [in my teaching of lower level courses] but it’s…there’s just…it’s not a direct line from teaching language to teaching literature.”

Analysis of Teaching Context

How can we address support issues within French literature doctoral programs?

Provide graduate students with experience teaching literature courses 8 comments

Experience as a TA for an undergraduate literature course 3 commentsCoordinator observation during literature lesson at lower levels 2 commentsInclusion of more literature at the elementary/ intermediate level 2 commentsCourse in the Teaching of Literature 1 commentIncrease presentations in graduate coursework 1 commentIncreased lit faculty involvement in development as a literature instructor 1 commentIncreased feedback from literature faculty on literature syllabus development 1 commentOpportunity to teach a lesson in a graduate course in area of specialization 1 commentFocus half of the pedagogy course on the teaching of literature 1 comment

Consequences of Teacher self-efficacy

Would you implement innovative or experimental strategies in literature instruction?

Definitely/ Absolutely 9 comments

Which innovative strategies?

Unsure/ Unaware of innovative strategies 9 comments

Discussion

TAs possessed a moderate level of TSE in literature (6.8/9)

TAs professed that 3 of the 4 sources of teacher self-efficacy were not fostered

TAs felt more confident teaching elementary and intermediate-level language courses than advanced level literature courses

Expressed that graduate program was highly effective in its formation of literary scholars and language instructors but literature instruction is perceived as “a gap between these two holes”

Discussion

Shulman (1987) claims that effective instruction requires that teachers possess: pedagogical knowledge content knowledge pedagogical content knowledge**

The TAs appear to possess valuable pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge but …a (perceived) missing pedagogical knowledge component?

How could self-efficacy research link to the teaching of less commonly taught languages?

Ideas for Self-efficacy research within the LCTL context LCTL classes typically consist of 1) heritage learners , 2) non

heritage language learners, and 3) “students with heritage language motivation” (little or no fluency in the heritage language, but cultural background) (Van Deusen-Scholl, 2003). How do the self-efficacy beliefs of these three groups differ

in the areas of Communication, Culture, Connections, Communities, and Comparisons (Standards of FL learning)?

What are the self-efficacy beliefs of heritage versus non-heritage language learners in their capabilities to use standard versus non-standardized varieties of a language?

How does the instructor’s choice of standard versus non-standardized varieties of a language influence students’ self-efficacy beliefs? (Bergman, 2010; Al-Batal & Belnap, 2006)

Ideas for Self-efficacy research within the LCTL context “Learning about culture has been identified as a key motivating factor for [LCTL] students” (Stenson et al, 1998, p. 7). What are LCTL students’ self-efficacy beliefs in cultural understanding

of products, practices, and perspectives in a given curriculum? What are LCTL teacher self-efficacy beliefs in their ability to

effectively teach cultural products, practices, and perspectives?

Students study LCTLs for both humanistic reasons (personal enjoyment and interest) and utilitarian interests (improving career prospects) (Murphy, Magnan, Back & Garrett-Rucks, 2009). How do the self-efficacy beliefs of these two groups differ? How are

they similar? Do our curricular plans meet their needs?

Ideas for Self-efficacy research within the LCTL context Freedman (2004) noted that language enrollment in

LCTL courses is steady at the first and second year level, but drops off at higher levels of study

How do the students’ self-efficacy beliefs evolve from the beginning of the first year to the end of the second year?

What would student interviews tell us about their perceived competence and their beliefs about the perceived value of learning a LCTL at the advanced level?

What do students deem important and valuable and how could this be integrated into LCTL advanced level courses?

Ideas for Self-efficacy research within the LCTL context

Wang (2009) discusses a need for increased solidarity, availability of updated teaching materials, and collaboration among LCTL instructors. Do teacher self-efficacy beliefs evolve and develop from the

beginning to the end of a teacher training workshop or course (ex: STARTALK)? Why or why not?

What are the teacher self-efficacy beliefs of LCTL instructors as they relate to the development of teaching materials that align with current communicative, post-communicative and literacy based teaching methodologies ?

What is the collective efficacy of LCTL instructors?

Ideas for Self-efficacy research within the LCTL context Haley & Ferro (2011) suggest that US language

teacher programs are typically geared toward instruction of commonly taught languages and emphasize constructivist paradigms.

How does these teacher training programs influence the teacher self-efficacy beliefs of LCTL instructors from a different cultural background with different educational paradigms?

What are the teacher self-efficacy beliefs of LCTL versus commonly taught language instructors enrolled in US teacher education programs? Where and how do they differ? How could US teacher education programs revise program curricula accordingly?

How do I foster self-efficacy in the LCTL classroom?

How do I foster self-efficacy?

Foster self-directedness and pro-activity among students

Allow students to exercise control of their own learning

Allow students to problem-solve (inductive learning vs. deductive learning)

Encourage students to set goals Creation of a collaborative classroom – shared

knowledge and decision making

(John Barrell, “Working toward student self-direction and personal efficacy as educational goals”)

Foster Mastery Experiences

Instructors could provide multiple opportunities for students to experience success in the FL classroom.

Teacher guided activities and appropriate scaffolding prepare students to be successful

Provide students with multiple opportunities to exchange information, discuss opinions, and present ideas with their peers in partners before large group discussion

Teachers’ in-class presentation and modelling of effective language learning strategies

Foster Vicarious Experiences

Teacher in-class presentation and modeling Model in-class speaking activities Model texts or essays (written by native speakers, written

by successful former students, etc.)

Student observation of linguistically proficient peers Inspire and enhance students’ perception of their potential Students who have studied abroad or at the advanced

level Models of former student work (essays, final projects,

videos, etc.) Collaborative learning experiences (blogs, presentations,

discussion boards) to provide learners with opportunities to observe the successes of their peers at similar proficiency levels.

Foster self-efficacy through Verbal Persuasions Teachers’ appropriate verbal feedback and encouragement

“the teacher’s challenge is to ensure that their students’ internal standards are…

rigorous without being debilitating realistic without being self-limiting fluid without being wishy washy consistent without being static…” – Pajares, 2002

Foster self-efficacy by encouraging positive emotional states

What causes anxiety according to FL students?

Non-Comprehension Excessive error correction Fear of peer/ teacher evaluation Speed of the course “intimidating” teachers Comparison to native speaker

performance

Renée von Wörde “Students’ Perspectives on Foreign Language Anxiety” from Inquiry, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2003

Foster self-efficacy by encouraging positive Emotional States

How do I create a low-anxiety classroom environment?

Development of a sense of community (communality or connectedness among students & teacher)

“personal relationship” with the teacher

Teacher’s attitude toward the language

Teachers who “make the class fun to like learning” or “make the class more animated” or “teachers who make it interesting by using interesting situations” grounded in engaging cultural content

Renée von Wörde “Students’ Perspectives on Foreign Language Anxiety” from Inquiry, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2003 / Mills, 2013

Foster self-efficacy by encouraging positive emotional states

How do I create a low-anxiety classroom environment?

Teacher repetition/ reinforcement

Teachers’ use of appealing and relevant topics

learner-centred curricula which allow students to become active decision-makers and engage with a wide network of available resources both inside and outside the classroom

freedom, choice, and experimentation

Renée von Wörde “Students’ Perspectives on Foreign Language Anxiety” from Inquiry, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2003 / Mills, 2013

Foster collective efficacy…

Fostering the sources of self-efficacy help to establish a community of learners and classroom dynamic in which learners create a shared sense of collective efficacy, or shared belief in the class community’s ability to complete foreign language tasks and communicate effectively in the target language.

Yes, we can…and collective efficacy

Fostering, enhancing, and assessing self-efficacy …. Yes, we can! Yes, you can!

Further self-efficacy references Reference list available onlineUpcoming chapter that could be a good future resource: Mills, N. A. (accepted, under review) Self-efficacy in Second Language Acquisition.

In Eds. M. Williams & S. Mercer, Multiple Perspectives on the Self . Multilingual Matters.

Email: [email protected]

http://works.bepress.com/nicole_mills/

Thank you!

Self-Efficacy and Foreign Language Education Nicole Mills [email protected] National Middle East...

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