Improving self-efficacy and motivation: What to do, what to say

It is not surprising that many struggling learners have low self-efficacy for academics. They believe that they lack the ability to succeed. Consequently, they tend to avoid academics and give up quickly when difficulties arise. This article suggests practical solutions based on self-efficacy theory to improve the motivation of struggling learners. Specifically, the authors present three sources of self-efficacy-enactive mastery, vicarious experiences, and verbal persuasion-as ways for teachers to figure out what to do and what to say to strengthen struggling learners' beliefs in their academic abilities and increase their willingness to engage in academic tasks.