Attribution Theory

In our world, all effects are attributed to some sort of cause. This is as true in educational pursuits as it is in scientific ones, and in education (psychology in general) this is known as Attribution Theory. It is important to understand the causes that our students attribute to their successes and failures, because this can point to their broader motivations.

For example, some students are motivated only by the fact that they attribute their success to their ability to cram before a test. Another student might be scared of failure, but only because he attributes his failures to the inability of the school system to deal with his particular needs (whether valid or not).

We can guide our students by helping them establish a belief in their own abilities, without them relying on their abilities. Basically, students should be guided into knowing that even if they failed, they failed because of some (reasonable) outside force, or due to a lack of effort or time on their part. That way, they'll be more likely to try again in the future.

This is an excellent link to a summary of how attribution theory effects student motivation:
http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/vockell/edPsybook/Edpsy5/edpsy5_attribution.htm

Social and Situated Cognition Theories

As much as we would like to think our learning and beliefs are static - that they do not change based on our social setting or situation - evidence points to the contrary. The theory of Social and Situated Cognition states that our social-cognitive processes change based on context, and when people enter new situations with different goals and perspectives, their learning and understanding change also.

Here is a link to a paper written on the topic:
http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/1871/17296/2/Smith_Advances%20in%20Experimental%20Social%20Psychology_26(3)_2004_u.pdf

So what does that mean for our education?
Students are not perfect vessels that can be filled with information despite context. We must understand that learning can be altered (for better or worse) based on the environment and social climate of the "classroom." If a group of young teenagers can't stop trying to impress one another, they probably aren't absorbing what you'd like them to. By the same token, you can use this altered social process to your advantage by making it impressive to have learned and adapted your material.

Self Efficacy

Belief in oneself and one's skills is a powerful tool, and can be a deadly foe. Self efficacy is a measure of what one imagines one's ability level to be. How capable you are of performing a certain task or type of tasks sometimes isn't as important as how capable you think you are at performing. Building this self efficacy is a goal that many adventure educators strive for, because even if they fail at the same rate as others, those with high self efficacy are less likely to view failures as a setback.

Albert Bandura pioneered this concept, and it has caught on over time, because educators and leaders figured out that it has profound effects on students in the short and long term.

We can use this concept in our teaching by not hurling students at impossible tasks. Start your population out slowly with tasks they are capable of, and increase the level and nature of the challenge from there. Those who are faced with many initial failures will begin to believe failure is a trend, while those who see many successes will continue to expand their self efficacy and believe in their abilities.