What is Self-efficacy?

Self-efficacy is a belief in your own ability to accomplish your goals and overcome challenges. It’s a cornerstone of personal and professional success.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Helen Keller

When you have high self-efficacy, you’re more likely to:

  • Set ambitious goals
  • Persist in the face of setbacks
  • Cope with stress and adversity
  • Achieve your desired outcomes

Why Self-efficacy matters

Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in various aspects of life, including:

  • Academic performance
    Students with high self-efficacy are more likely to excel in their studies.
  • Career success
    Individuals who believe in their abilities are more likely to achieve their career goals and advance in their professions.
  • Personal relationships
    Self-efficacy can positively impact your interactions with others and your overall well-being.
  • Health and wellness
    High self-efficacy is associated with better health outcomes, including reduced stress and increased resilience.

At Beacon Changemakers, we are committed to helping our scholars develop strong self-efficacy. Through our leadership development programmes, mentorship, and support services, we equip them with the tools they need to believe in themselves and achieve their full potential. We impart in a positive way that scholars are in charge of their own future.

Three specific ways in which Beacon does this:

1. Target Sheet

  • At the beginning of each term the scholars meet with their mentors and set specific academic, co-curricular, social influence, and citizenship goals using the SMART framework – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Goals are are formally entered on a Target Sheet and submitted to Beacon for review. The emphasis is on scholars setting their own goals, with appropriate guidance.
  • Mentors meet Beacon Scholars at the end of every term and report progress against targets. If necessary, new targets are set and previous ones adjusted to reflect ongoing reality.

“The Target Sheet is like a ‘roadmap’ helping me maintain balance and focus, and helps me prioritise what’s important. I can test my ambitions and though not all the targets I set myself are always achieved, I like the way the framework pushes me to try and do things outside my comfort zone and self-report on my achievements.”

Beacon Scholar

2. Personalised feedback

  • Scholars are continuously assessed on key leadership dimensions, and given personalised email feedback on their performance with positive suggestions for improvement at Workshops, and on their summer Citizenship Project.
  • Videos of Citizenship Project presentations are placed in Beacon Scholar Profiles for review and sharing online.

3. Summary Performance Evaluation

At the end of the academic year, data from Target Sheets, School Reports and Workshop Feedback is compiled and analysed. For each scholar, a personalised one-page Summary Performance Evaluation (SPE) is produced recording achievement, and proposing broad ideas for target-setting in the next academic year.

This SPE is sent to scholars and parents/sponsors with a Continuation Award Letter in August annually.