The Impact of the Type of Youth Development Organization on Youth Worker Efficacy Levels

Self-efficacy derived from Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory and has been the centerpiece of research studies in teaching, coaching, and organizational management for over 30 years. Self-efficacy can affect individuals' belief in their own ability to perform certain tasks (Bandura, 1977; 1986). Self-efficacy beliefs are focused on people's perceived level of competence rather than their actual level of competence (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, & Hoy, 1998). Cognitively, self-efficacy allows individuals to analyze how different levels of performance will lead to various outcomes (Bandura & Schunk, 1981; Nisbett & Ross, 1980). Analyzing youth workers' self-efficacy is a budding area of research, and this study will investigate the topic in association with private/commercial, public/government and nonprofit youth development organization settings. The researchers believe that youth workers' interpretation of self-confidence is integral to providing quality youth work. The self-efficacy of youth workers can have a strong impact on the environment created and the interaction between youth workers and the young people they guide.