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Students' self-efficacy

One of the most important factors in students' learning is not just what they can do – but what they believe they can do. This belief is called self-efficacy and concerns the student's own conviction: "I can do this."

The concept comes from social cognitive theory and describes how people judge their own ability to succeed at specific tasks. It is therefore not about actual ability, but about perceived ability. A student may have good knowledge yet still perform worse if their belief in their own ability is low – and vice versa.

Why is self-efficacy so important?​

The research is consistent: students with high self-efficacy:

  • perform better at school
  • make more of an effort
  • do not give up as easily when things get difficult
  • dare to take on challenging tasks

A large study by Basileo and colleagues from 2024 shows that self-efficacy is the single strongest factor in school performance in both mathematics and languages. It mattered more than both motivation and the teacher's support for students' needs.

What is interesting is that many other factors influence results through self-efficacy. For example:

  • Students who feel motivated often develop higher self-efficacy
  • Students who receive support from their teachers strengthen their belief in their ability
  • The increased self-efficacy in turn leads to better performance

Self-efficacy thus works as a kind of engine in learning – a central mechanism that influences how students think, feel and act in school situations.

A positive spiral​

Research also shows that self-efficacy and motivation reinforce one another. Students who believe in their ability become more motivated, and motivated students build up a stronger belief in themselves.

This creates a positive spiral:

I succeed → I believe more in myself → I dare to try → I succeed again

But the opposite can also arise if self-efficacy is low:

I doubt → I make less of an effort → I fail → I doubt even more

That is why working on self-efficacy is particularly important at school.

How can teachers strengthen students' self-efficacy?​

Research points to several concrete ways teachers can work:

1. Create experiences of success​

The most important way to build self-efficacy is for students to experience that they can manage tasks.

  • Adapt the level of difficulty
  • Set clear goals
  • Show progression

2. Give feedback that strengthens ability​

Feedback should focus on effort, strategy and development – not just results.

  • "You solved it by trying several strategies"
  • "Your perseverance made the difference"

3. Make the learning process visible​

When students understand how learning works, their sense of control and competence increases.

4. Give students influence​

When students get to make choices and shape the teaching, their sense of autonomy is strengthened, which in turn builds self-efficacy.

5. Build relationships and a sense of safety​

A sense of belonging and support from the teacher makes students dare to try and take risks in their learning.

6. Model and normalise difficulties​

Show that it is normal to make mistakes and that development takes time.

What does this mean in practice?​

In summary, the research shows that self-efficacy is a key to students' learning. It is not enough to teach content – students also need to develop a strong belief that they can succeed. For teaching, this means a clear shift: from focusing solely on what students do, to also working with how students view their own ability.

Basileo, L. D., Otto, B., Lyons, M., Vannini, N., & Toth, M. D. (2024). The role of self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived support of students' basic psychological needs in academic achievement. Frontiers in Education, 9:1385442. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1385442