Social Cognitive Theory: self-efficacy may constitute an important influence on their levels of stress / joy


Over the years, I have entrenched myself in anything and everything that diverts attention towards the agency of the individual. Bandura's contribution of Social Cognitive Theory to theorists and practioners made immediate sense to me-- the ways in which this theory explain the origins of efficacy, self-efficacy, of explanation: mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological and affective states have been written, cited, and integrated into countless conversations and into countless papers. 

But in all of my travels over the past twenty years- since my first attempt at a doctoral defense to this most recent attempt to which you are a witness- I had given so little attention to the final of origins: physiological and affective states. And, then, to be introduced to an additional source in a paper recently read to Maddux' (2009) additional source of self-efficacy, imaginal experiences, in "The power of believing you can," my current state was rocked off its axis.

So what made me open to seeing differently? In the above paper (Eliophotoou Menon & Lefteri, 2021) they state: "Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs...
"...may constitute an important influence on their levels of stress" (p. 45).
May constitute an important influence on their levels of stress. This conclusion struck a chord that embodies the experience of educators, teachers and leaders, around the world: stress. It is this connection across self-efficacy and collective-efficacy and stress that I would like to examine more carefully. And as a counterpoint of stress, I would like to explore joy. And explore the conditions that contribute to the experiences of a learning community in a time of crisis that result in stress and result in joy.


My blind spot-- the reality of the affective in experiencing and developing agency. I am attempting to hold back self-judgment; in my classroom twenty-five years ago and with every community member I encounter today, the physiological and affective states and imaginal experiences matter.

I am not sure if these two states are polarities- perhaps they are experienced as such.


References:

Eliophotou Menon, M., & Lefteri, A. (2021). The Link between Transformational Leadership and Teacher Self-Efficacy. Education, 142(1), 42-52.

Maddux, J. E. (2002). The power of believing you can. Handbook of positive psychology, 277-287.

Roache, D., Rowe-Holder, D., & Muschette, R. (2020). Transitioning to online distance learning in the COVID-19 era: A call for skilled leadership in higher education institutions (HEIs). In Proc. CCEAM (p. 103).

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