How do the internal/external factors of the ever changing adolescent affect the teaching strategies we, as teachers, apply to intermediate learners?
What is Personal Agency and Self-Efficacy?
Adolescence is a time during development where students are transitioning from childhood dependency to adult independence and self-sufficiency (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). As teachers we must acknowledge this transition and provide students with the skills and strategies to overcome their internal and external factors that they bring with them to the classroom. As teachers we must understand that the internal and external factors students bring with them to the classroom have a direct affect on the way students learn and therefore, will affect the learning strategies we apply as teachers.
As teachers, it is important to foster a teaching and learning environment that allows for both the internal and external factors of the ever changing adolescent to be explored and celebrated. One must acknowledge that our students enter our classroom with a bundle of needs. Not only is our job as teachers of adolescents to educate them, but we must meet their physical, emotional, social and mental needs as well. All of these factors affect adolescence both internally and externally and have an impact on their experiences within their learning environment. In order for students to overcome the adverse internal and external factors they bring to the classroom a teacher must allow for personal agency and self-efficacy to develop. Allowing students to develop both skills will allow for a healthy transition to independence and self-sufficiency.
Personal agency is an important skill for an adolescent to acquire because it refers to one's capability to originate and direct actions for a given purpose (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). This is huge when it comes to the adolescent brain. Research by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, has shown that adolescence must be motivated to achieve something before that are actually able to obtain the capabilities to do so. Therefore, if a student does not want to learn then
he or she will not. Consequently, students must be able to make a correlation between their actions and a purpose. In terms of one's classroom a teacher must apply teaching strategies where students feel as though they have a purpose and that the purpose can be achieved. "To succeed in school adolescents develop diver self-regulatory skills, such as goal setting, self-monitoring, time management, and self-evaltualion" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 51).
Similarly self-efficacy refers to one's capabilities to organize and execute course of action to attain designated goals (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). One cannot obtain self-efficacy without achieving personal agency. If a students obtains self-efficacy he or she has the belief that he or she can achieve anything. Self-efficacy is a belief about what a person can do rather than personal judgments about one's physical or personality attributes (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). This is key during adolescence because a lot of internal and external factors stem from the notions of physical and personality attributes. As we know, adolescence is a time where students are constantly judging and comparing themselves to their peers.
Students at this time enter and exit the classroom with a sense of developing personal agency and finding who they are as a person. Therefore, if teachers instil teaching strategies that foster personal agency and self-efficacy, then they are providing students with the mindset that anything is possible and can be achieved. At this time teachers are creating a classroom environment where students challenge failure and celebrate success.
Adolescence is a time during development where students are transitioning from childhood dependency to adult independence and self-sufficiency (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). As teachers we must acknowledge this transition and provide students with the skills and strategies to overcome their internal and external factors that they bring with them to the classroom. As teachers we must understand that the internal and external factors students bring with them to the classroom have a direct affect on the way students learn and therefore, will affect the learning strategies we apply as teachers.
As teachers, it is important to foster a teaching and learning environment that allows for both the internal and external factors of the ever changing adolescent to be explored and celebrated. One must acknowledge that our students enter our classroom with a bundle of needs. Not only is our job as teachers of adolescents to educate them, but we must meet their physical, emotional, social and mental needs as well. All of these factors affect adolescence both internally and externally and have an impact on their experiences within their learning environment. In order for students to overcome the adverse internal and external factors they bring to the classroom a teacher must allow for personal agency and self-efficacy to develop. Allowing students to develop both skills will allow for a healthy transition to independence and self-sufficiency.
Personal agency is an important skill for an adolescent to acquire because it refers to one's capability to originate and direct actions for a given purpose (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). This is huge when it comes to the adolescent brain. Research by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, has shown that adolescence must be motivated to achieve something before that are actually able to obtain the capabilities to do so. Therefore, if a student does not want to learn then
he or she will not. Consequently, students must be able to make a correlation between their actions and a purpose. In terms of one's classroom a teacher must apply teaching strategies where students feel as though they have a purpose and that the purpose can be achieved. "To succeed in school adolescents develop diver self-regulatory skills, such as goal setting, self-monitoring, time management, and self-evaltualion" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 51).
Similarly self-efficacy refers to one's capabilities to organize and execute course of action to attain designated goals (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). One cannot obtain self-efficacy without achieving personal agency. If a students obtains self-efficacy he or she has the belief that he or she can achieve anything. Self-efficacy is a belief about what a person can do rather than personal judgments about one's physical or personality attributes (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). This is key during adolescence because a lot of internal and external factors stem from the notions of physical and personality attributes. As we know, adolescence is a time where students are constantly judging and comparing themselves to their peers.
Students at this time enter and exit the classroom with a sense of developing personal agency and finding who they are as a person. Therefore, if teachers instil teaching strategies that foster personal agency and self-efficacy, then they are providing students with the mindset that anything is possible and can be achieved. At this time teachers are creating a classroom environment where students challenge failure and celebrate success.
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The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain...
Throughout this video Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, highlights the development of the adolescent brain. She states that during adolescence students are more likely to give in to peer pressure and to take risks and rightly so. She claims that adolescence is a time where one's brain is still developing and determining what is socially acceptable and what is not. Blackmore indicates that adolescents use a different mental approach and cognitive strategy to make social decisions. As a result throughout her video she states that teachers play a vital role in brain development during this time. |
"During adolescent development there are changes in the brain that provide an excellent opportunity for education and social development"- Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Features of Self-efficacy:
1) Self-efficacy judgements focus on perceived capabilities to perform an activity rather than on personality or psychological traits or characteristics. 2) Self-efficacy percepts are distinctive because they are not only domain-specific but are also contact- and task-specific. 3) Self-efficacy is its dependence on a mastery criterion of performance rather than on normative or other criteria. 4) Self-efficacy beliefs are typically assessed prior to engaging in a particular task or activity. Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. |
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“I am somebody, I was somebody when I came, I’ll be a better somebody when I leave, I am powerful and I am strong and I deserve the education that I get here. I have things to do, people to impress and places to go”. – Rita Pierson.
Applying Self-efficacy and Personal Agency to the Classroom:
Self-efficacy is linked to academic motivation, academic achievement and academic and personal development (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006).
Academic Motivation:
Social cognitive researchers define motivation as a process in which goal-directed behaviour is instigated and sustained (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). Motivation can be witnessed in many forms such as students efforts, determination as well as by the choices in activities that students participate in. Research suggests that self-efficacy contributes to these efforts and choices students make. For example "if students believe that they can perform a task in a proficient manner, they will become more engaged in the activity, work harder, and sustain high levels of effort even when obstacles are encountered" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 51). In return Zimmerman and Cleary, have found when students view a task as difficult, students with higher self-efficacy tend to be more persistent than students with lower self-efficacy.
Academic Achievement:
Research pertaining to self-efficacy indicates a great relationship between self-efficacy beliefs in students and academic achievement. Throughout the article, Adolescents' Development of Personal Agency, it is suggested that "merely possessing knowledge and skills does not mean that one will use them effectively under difficult conditions" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 52). Due to this notion it was discovered that students with higher levels of self-efficacy were better able to effectively manage and cope under difficult circumstances and have a higher probability of succeeding as oppose to students with lower levels of self-efficacy. Therefore, in terms of academic achievement, self-efficacy is a predictor of positive attitudes.
Academic and Personal Development:
A questioned discussed within my article was "does self-efficacy have the ability to empower students?" Through research I have discovered that the answer to this question is yes. Students who belief in their capabilities feel empowered by their abilities as an individual and in return these students will strive for success within their educational careers. In terms of education, research suggests that individuals who are highly confident in their abilities to earn success are more likely to set challenging academic goals for themselves. As a result students with these perceptions will likely set more specific and challenging goals that lead to the most positive outcomes (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006).
Self-efficacy is linked to academic motivation, academic achievement and academic and personal development (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006).
Academic Motivation:
Social cognitive researchers define motivation as a process in which goal-directed behaviour is instigated and sustained (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006). Motivation can be witnessed in many forms such as students efforts, determination as well as by the choices in activities that students participate in. Research suggests that self-efficacy contributes to these efforts and choices students make. For example "if students believe that they can perform a task in a proficient manner, they will become more engaged in the activity, work harder, and sustain high levels of effort even when obstacles are encountered" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 51). In return Zimmerman and Cleary, have found when students view a task as difficult, students with higher self-efficacy tend to be more persistent than students with lower self-efficacy.
Academic Achievement:
Research pertaining to self-efficacy indicates a great relationship between self-efficacy beliefs in students and academic achievement. Throughout the article, Adolescents' Development of Personal Agency, it is suggested that "merely possessing knowledge and skills does not mean that one will use them effectively under difficult conditions" (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006, pg. 52). Due to this notion it was discovered that students with higher levels of self-efficacy were better able to effectively manage and cope under difficult circumstances and have a higher probability of succeeding as oppose to students with lower levels of self-efficacy. Therefore, in terms of academic achievement, self-efficacy is a predictor of positive attitudes.
Academic and Personal Development:
A questioned discussed within my article was "does self-efficacy have the ability to empower students?" Through research I have discovered that the answer to this question is yes. Students who belief in their capabilities feel empowered by their abilities as an individual and in return these students will strive for success within their educational careers. In terms of education, research suggests that individuals who are highly confident in their abilities to earn success are more likely to set challenging academic goals for themselves. As a result students with these perceptions will likely set more specific and challenging goals that lead to the most positive outcomes (Zimmerman & Cleary, 2006).
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Opportunities for teachers...
As teachers we must keep in mind the internal and external factors of ever changing adolescent. We must understand that the students entering and existing our classroom are seeking many changes in their lives besides academics. We must acknowledge that our students are experiencing social, emotional, physical and mental changes as well and that all of which contribute to the way one learns. It is important for one to remember that the teaching strategies we apply as teachers will have an affect on these changes as well. Therefore, as teachers we must foster and promote personal agency and self-efficacy within our classroom throughout our teaching strategies. When we develop teaching strategies for intermediate learners we need to develop strategies that allow our students to believe in their capabilities and seek personal motivation. We need to apply teaching strategies that motivate our students to learn and achieve academic success for the sake of wanting it themselves. If we teach our students to take pride and responsibility in the learning process then students will be motivated to self-regulate their learning and attain success.By allowing personal agency and self-efficacy to develop we are providing our students with endless possibilities and abilities. We are giving our students the mind set that anything is possible and that failure is an important part of the journey.
As teachers we must keep in mind the internal and external factors of ever changing adolescent. We must understand that the students entering and existing our classroom are seeking many changes in their lives besides academics. We must acknowledge that our students are experiencing social, emotional, physical and mental changes as well and that all of which contribute to the way one learns. It is important for one to remember that the teaching strategies we apply as teachers will have an affect on these changes as well. Therefore, as teachers we must foster and promote personal agency and self-efficacy within our classroom throughout our teaching strategies. When we develop teaching strategies for intermediate learners we need to develop strategies that allow our students to believe in their capabilities and seek personal motivation. We need to apply teaching strategies that motivate our students to learn and achieve academic success for the sake of wanting it themselves. If we teach our students to take pride and responsibility in the learning process then students will be motivated to self-regulate their learning and attain success.By allowing personal agency and self-efficacy to develop we are providing our students with endless possibilities and abilities. We are giving our students the mind set that anything is possible and that failure is an important part of the journey.
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Teen Social Issues Through Poetry...
I wanted to add this final video to my inquiry because I think it is important for us teachers to understand the social issues students bring with them to the classroom. Although this video does not directly discuss self-efficacy or personal agency, it does highlight the many internal and external factors adolescents face both inside and outside of the classroom. As teachers, we must be mindful of these social issues and foster a classroom filled with personal agency, self-efficacy and resiliency. |
Page designed by Kimberly Kirschner
References:
Clearview Regional High School Media Program (2014). Teen Social Issues Through Poetry.
JK Adames (2012). Identity.
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat Capacity Building Series. The Third Teacher (2012). Ministry of Education, ON.
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (2012). The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain.
Sheldon, M., K (2013). Internalized Motivation in the Classroom. Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors.
Rita Pierson (2013). Every Kid Needs a Champion.
Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. J. (2006). Adolescents’ Development of Personal Agency. Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents, 45-69.
References:
Clearview Regional High School Media Program (2014). Teen Social Issues Through Poetry.
JK Adames (2012). Identity.
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat Capacity Building Series. The Third Teacher (2012). Ministry of Education, ON.
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (2012). The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain.
Sheldon, M., K (2013). Internalized Motivation in the Classroom. Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors.
Rita Pierson (2013). Every Kid Needs a Champion.
Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. J. (2006). Adolescents’ Development of Personal Agency. Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents, 45-69.