Why Don’t We Use What We Know?

We’ve known for some time that self-efficacy and resiliency play major roles in a person’s success. Yet it is difficult to find either of these attributes mentioned in discussions about improving education, increasing employability, or meeting the needs of returning veterans. I’ve heard several conversations recently about math anxiety, but none about math efficacy. Most workforce development staff that I know are more experienced at identifying barriers to employment, than on helping individuals acquire the resiliency necessary to overcome them. And while many professionals who work with veterans are well aware of PTSD, few mention the power of self-efficacy and resiliency when addressing it.

To address these concerns, the Center for Efficacy and Resiliency (CER) was launched just about a year ago, and has generated a considerable amount of interest in Washington State. Nine individuals recently completed two days of CER Facilitator Training, and are now spreading the efficacy-resiliency message throughout their organizations. Some of them want to become CER trainers. We have also teamed up with a sister agency, the Veterans Training and Support Center, to begin offering efficacy-resiliency workshops for individuals and organizations that serve veterans. (Note: Self-efficacy and resiliency are as important for organizations, as they are for individuals.)

Last month CER submitted a Letter of Interest to a funding agency proposing that we help create cultures of efficacy and resiliency in two alternative high schools. Our goal is to transform the schools from being curriculum-centered to becoming student-centered. We want to utilize the research suggesting that increasing self-efficacy and resiliency for both students and faculty will improve learning and retention rates as much as (or even more than) more traditional approaches, e.g., changing the curriculum, buying off the shelf motivation programs, hiring tutors, or lengthening the school day.

We at CER strongly believe that understanding the power of self-efficacy and resiliency, and helping others understand it, can contribute immeasurably to our nation’s growth and survival during these difficult economic times.

Question: Why aren’t we using what we know about self-efficacy and resiliency? If you are using this information, let us know what you are doing and how it is working. We are always looking for good ideas. Best wishes to all.

Cal Crow
Director, CER

CLC is Expecting!

After a quarter century of providing workshops, conferences and other activities covering a myriad of topics, CLC has decided to add another “center” to the family. It will be called the Center for Efficacy and Resiliency (CER), and will have a simple mission. To help organizations create cultures of efficacy and resiliency that help people to maximize their potential. The rationale for such a center is
clear:

We know that self-efficacy (my belief that I am able to perform a task or manage a situation) is a major predictor of success in school and work. We know what contributes to it, how to increase it, and how to destroy it. (Note: Self efficacy is not the same as self-esteem, which is a feeling. Self-efficacy is a belief.)

We know that resiliency (my ability to overcome obstacles and rebound from setbacks) is also a major contributor to success. We know that everyone is born with it. We know how to increase it, how to help people maintain it throughout their lives, and how to stifle it.

Individuals and organizations can improve their success rates significantly if they learn how to increase their selfefficacy and resiliency. Following are examples of how such a center can be of service to individuals.

► It can assist WorkFirst parents who doubt their ability to become self-sufficient.
► It can assist ex-offenders who really wonder if it is possible to find employment and integrate successfully into the community.
► It can assist students at all levels who find it easy to give up when times are tough and classes are “hard.”
► It can assist educators and other helping professionals who wonder if they will ever be successful with “hard to reach” students or clients.

The Center for Efficacy and Resiliency can also assist organizations that do not have a culture of self-efficacy and resiliency. Examples include:

► Educational institutions that want to improve achievement levels and retention rates
► Educational, governmental and non-profit organizations seeking assistance to deal with turbulence and change
► Organizations wishing to acquire and make better use of the collective knowledge of their members
► Organizations that would like to take the risks necessary for a successful future

The payoff from helping individuals and organizations become more self-efficacious and resilient can be significant. Some possibilities:

► Higher student achievement levels
► Lower dropout rates
► Fewer attendance and discipline problems in our schools
► More motivated students and employees
► A reduction in violence, crime. and recidivism rates
► Improved quality and productivity in education, human services and non-profit activities
► Improvements in staff morale
► More effective decision-making
► A reduction in the number of people needing public assistance

Many of the topics that CLC has addressed during the past several years have a connection to self-efficacy and resiliency. Because of this common thread running through so much of what we already do, a logical next step seemed to be to create a center driven by those two major correlates of success.