The purpose of this project was to examine the
self-efficacy levels of students with visual impairments prior to participation and after participation
in a camp about biodiversity and ecosystems to
determine if self-efficacy levels changed as a result of participation. The survey results of the
present study suggest that the biodiversity and
ecosystems science camp increased the students' self-efficacy levels in the three theme areas of talent, effort, and context, as well as in relation to science, technology, and math.
The tool used in this project can be beneficial
to teachers. Teachers can use it to identify student self-efficacy levels and can be valuable in
planning classroom experiences. In addition,
teachers can do a pre and post assessment with
this tool to determine if the instruction was successful in terms of the goals set for instruction. In
this case, the camp appeared to be successful in
increasing students' self-efficacy. The mixture of
field trips, discussions, research, and hands-on
learning activities from the camp suggest that the
various lessons led to an increase in student selfefficacy.
This is just one example of another tool that
can quickly be used by teachers in the classroom
in order to learn more about their students. By
examining students' talents, effort levels, and
contexts of learning, a teacher can tailor lessons
for students that would increase these areas or
play upon the strengths of the students in the
classroom.
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Bibliography
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.
Jinks, J. & Morgan, V. (1996). Students' sense of
academic efficacy and achievement in
science: A useful new direction for research regarding scientific literacy? Electronic Journal
of Science Education, 1(2). Psychological Re-
