PLE 9: Self-efficacy and Self-regulation

How might self-efficacy and self-regulation contribute to the intervention plans you use in your case study?

Elementary Education Case Study

You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner.  You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems.  She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning.  She constantly interrupts others in her group.  She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations. 

 

Lisa refusing to participate in group work when she does not get the job she wants is an indicator of low self-efficacy.  Usually, people with high self-efficacy put forth more effort on new tasks to develop new skills and abilities.  However, Lisa only agrees to perform one role.  Perhaps Lisa's low self-efficacy is the product of previous successes or failures.  According to the case study, the teacher changes heterogeneous group members every four weeks.  If Lisa has been engaging in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day throughout the school year, it is highly likely that she has experienced success with a specific job or failure with another during previous group activities.  She has adapted a certain thinking of her ability to carry out certain behaviors in order to reach a goal. 

In order to help Lisa increase her self-efficacy, I would strategically place her in a cooperative learning group with students who often exhibited helpful and caring behavior towards their peers.  Additionally, I would have the students designate an encourager as one of the jobs for their cooperative learning group.  Lisa would highly benefit from hearing encouraging words and praise for her work.      

Typically, students experience an increase in self-regulation with age.  As a third grade student, Lisa should be able to easily make sure she is self-regulating, or at least be moving towards this goal.  However, she repeatedly causes conflict in her cooperative learning group.  As Lisa's teacher, I would set explicit goals, offer ways for her to monitor her behavior, and clearly state consequences for her successes and failures.  For instance, Lisa might set a goal of trying one new job a week.  This would be simple to monitor based on whether or not she accomplished this goal.  If she successfully completes this task, the teacher could allow her to choose her next cooperative learning group.  On the other hand, if she fails to perform this task, Lisa might lose free time or recess.  Self-regulation is an excellent tool for classroom management, and would work well in an intervention plan for Lisa.