Human Growth and Development / Unit 8 HGD 1056 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy
The idea
Three self terms are easily confused. Self-concept is what one believes about oneself: the description. Self-esteem is one's evaluation of that self, carrying feeling: one's sense of worth. Self-efficacy, Bandura's term, is the belief in one's ability to accomplish a particular task toward a goal: one's sense of capability. Self-efficacy is about belief, not actual ability, and it is domain-specific, so a child can feel capable in mathematics and not in sport.
In practice
One child who knows she is tall, thinks she is a good person, and feels sure she can pass tomorrow's maths test: self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy in one sentence.
Where people slip
The misconception is that self-esteem and self-efficacy are the same. They are linked: self-efficacy feeds self-esteem through success in domains the child values, so a child who masters a skill she cares about gains in both. Higher mathematics self-efficacy goes with higher mathematics achievement.
Your place on the trail
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