Chapter 11 Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation Case Study

Case Study Annie, a fifth-grade student in Mr. Baer's class, is being quiet and sullen for the fifth day in a row. "I just can't do this writing stuff," she finally says in an appeal to Mr. Baer. "I'm not a good student. Give me P.E. or art over this stuff any day!" 74) How could you use observational learning strategies to help Annie become more confident and successful in her writing skills? Answer: One of the most important applications of social cognitive theory is using observational learning to influence Annie's beliefs and behaviours. The teacher can intentionally model an interest in writing and share how challenging writing can be at times. The teacher will want to explicitly state that he/she expects to be successful if they stay focused on the writing task, be open to feedback and be willing to be persistent, and ask for help if needed. In order for Annie to be able to engage in observational learning it is imperative that she view her teacher as a model with prestige and competence. It will also be necessary for Annie to be attentive to her teacher's behaviours and statements. Page Ref: 390 75) Discuss Annie’s comment that she “can’t do this writing stuff” in relation to self-efficacy. Answer: The concept of self-efficacy is useful in understanding Annie's comment thatshe believes she "can't" write. Annie appears to have a low level of self-efficacy for her writing skills. In other words, she holds the belief that she "can't do it" and will not be successful in her writing task. It is noted Annie does not make any comparisons to other students, rather she has set her own standard and perceives she does not have the abilityto write. Self-efficacy beliefs play an important role in social cognitive theory because an individual's beliefs about his or her abilities to be successful in a given task will influence who they pay attention to as models and what they will learn from observing others. There are a number of techniques that might be used to encourage her self-efficacy. The teacher will want to emphasize her progress in writing by encouraging her to improve project when she has learned more or to review earlier material to see how much easier it is now. A teacher might also set learning goals for her and model a mastery orientation for them. Stress connections between past efforts and past accomplishments and ask them how they have solved difficult problems in the past. Annie’s self-defeating assessment that she can’t write should be confronted. Page Ref: 390-394 76) What might be the sources of Annie's low self-efficacy beliefs related to her writing beliefs? 11-23 Answer: According to Bandura, there are four sources of self-efficacy expectations which include: mastery experiences, physiological and emotional arousal, vicarious experiences, and social persuasion. Mastery experiences or direct personal experiences are by far the most powerful source of self-efficacy information. If Annie experienced failure in the past, then we would expect her writing failures would lower her self-efficacy for writing. Annie's self-efficacy for writing can also be influenced by her physiological and emotion arousal states. For example, if her palms sweat when she begins writing she might use this information to confirm her belief that she cannot write. Her self-efficacy beliefs will also be impacted by the writing accomplishments she observes amongst her peers. Finally, in some cases, Annie's self-efficacy beliefs may be influenced by feedback she received from others. For example, if Annie's teacher provides a "pep talk" there is a slight chance Annie's self-efficacy may be impacted by the teacher's attempt at using social persuasion. Page Ref: 392-393 77) Annie's self-efficacy beliefs for writing are expected to influence her self-regulation. How might you use Winne and Hadwin's model of self-regulated learning to help Annie become a better writer? Answer: Self-regulated learners exercise agency as they go through the following four main stages within the cycle of self-regulation: analyzing the task, setting goals and designing learning plans, engaging in learning, and adjusting their approach to learning. The first step would be to ask Annie about her understanding of the writing assignment. Does she have anxieties? Is she clear about the expectations for completing the assignment? What information does she rely upon to construct a sense of what it will take to be successful and complete the task? The second step is to ask Annie to set some specific goals and plans regarding her writing. When and where will she write? Does she plan to develop and outline before she starts writing? Does she plan to show parts of her writing to anyone else for feedback? After Annie has analyzed the task and set goals and plans, the next step is for her to enact her learning strategies to complete the task. In this phase, self-regulated learners continue to ask themselves what they need to know that will help them be successful. Self-regulated learners monitor how well their plan is working. If Annie were engaging in self-regulated learning, she would continually ask herself if the effort she is exerting is appropriate for the results she is achieving. She would also monitor the extent to which she is on track to meet her stated goals. In the final phase of self-regulated learning, we would expect Annie to regulate her own learning via metacognitive control and monitoring. She might do so by reflecting upon her successes and difficulties and determine whether or not she needs to make any changes. For example, she might read her work and ask if she should continue to revise her present writing project or completely start over. Page Ref: 399-400 11-24