Darshanand Ramdass Barry J. Zimmerman

Abstract

h Historically, mathematics teachers have focused on teaching aca- demic content. However, students continue to use maladaptive learning methods because their effects are not understood or are hard to discern. There is concern about the quality of American students’ achievement in mathematics. A recent report by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008) observed that success in mathematics education is of critical importance to individual citizens because it improves their college and career options. Moreover, the growth of jobs in the mathematics-inten- sive science and engineering workforce has outpaced overall job growth by a 3:1 ratio. However, American employers have hadTeachers need to monitor students’ self-efficacy judgments, as well as their mathematics learning, to provide optimal instruction. First, inac- curacies in self-judgments appear to be a major liability for elemen- tary and middle school children. Classroom practice must cultivate the knowledge to succeed and should nurture the belief that one can suc- ceed. Second, accuracy training can be incorporated in a curriculum. After students solve the problems, teachers can show them how well they judged their capability to solve the problems. Students who can assess what they know and do not know will become better self-regu- lated learners. Third, strategy training in mathematics is very important. Students learn various strategies in school to solve mathematics prob- lems, but they may not apply the strategies if they do not see their value. Teachers need to show the connection between strategy training and self-efficacy judgments and how these psychological variables relate to better mathematics performance. Students who utilize strategies in prob- lem solving will develop higher efficacy compared to those who do not utilize them. Fourth, accurate self-reflection is important to students’ success in math. Teachers can help students to hone this invaluable self- regulatory skill by giving them frequent opportunities to evaluate what they have learned or where they erred after completing a task. Students’ self-efficacy is strengthened with tangible indicators of progress. Finally, unrealistically low self-efficacy beliefs and not lack of ability or skill may be responsible for avoidance of challenging academic courses such as math. Teachers will have to identify these inaccurate judgments and design and implement appropriate interventions to change them. summary Ra