Chapter 15: Self-Efficacy During Childhood and Adolescence: Implications for Teachers and Parents

I begin this chapter with an assumption I hope readers will find reasonable. The assumption is that the beliefs that young people hold about their capability to succeed in their endeavors are vital forces in the subsequent successes or failures they attain in these endeavors. These self-efficacy beliefs provide the foundation for motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment in all areas of life. This is because unless young people believe that their actions can produce the results they desire, they have little incentive to act or to persevere in the face of the difficulties that inevitably ensue. They can, of course, be cajoled or coerced to complete tasks or participate in activities not of their choosing, but, as soon as they are provided with the option to select their own life paths, they will surely select tasks and activities they believe are within their capabilities and avoid those that they believe are beyond their perceived competence.