Chapter 2: Pólya Revisited: The Development and Implementation of a Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy Instrument With Preservice Elementary Mathematics Teachers

The belief that an individual has in regard to their own ability to perform or complete a task is the “I can” or “I can’t” belief, which impacts how a person decides to solve a problem or resolve a problem-solving situation (Siegle & McCoach, 2007). In relation to mathematics learning, students’ self-efficacy plays an important role in how they approach a problem or task, and how confident and persistent they feel in order to find a solution or to complete a complex task (Pajares, 1996).

This is commonly known as self-efficacy. The theory of self-efficacy was developed by Bandura (1986). According to Bandura (1994), efficacy is a belief in one’s personal capabilities. The theory suggests that self-efficacy is the most influential aspect of one’s self-knowledge, which fosters the relationship between knowledge and action. Those who have high selfefficacy expect favorable outcomes, and those who doubt themselves may experience negative outcomes (Bandura, 1986). There are four main influences on the degrees of self-efficacy (Bandura 1997), which may be experienced through professional development experiences: (1) Mastery experiences—a person achieves success and as a result becomes more confident in his or her abilities; (2) Vicarious experiences provided by social models—a person strengthens his or her self-beliefs by observing someone similar who finds success; (3) Social persuasion—a person is encouraged or verbally persuaded that he or she possesses the capabilities to master a given activity; and (4) Stress reduction—a person’s negative emotional state is altered to adjust his or her judgment of personal self-efficacy.