What it says. Bandura’s social learning work showed that people learn by observing others, not only through their own consequences. He also developed self-efficacy: a person’s belief in their ability to succeed at a task. Self-efficacy strongly affects effort and persistence, since students who believe they can succeed try harder and recover better from setbacks.

What it means for your teaching. Model the thinking and processes you want students to learn, including how to handle difficulty, since they learn by watching you. Build self-efficacy with early achievable successes, specific encouragement tied to effort and strategy, and examples of relatable people who succeeded. A student who believes they can learn your subject is far more likely to.