Self Confidence & Student Learning

Self-confidence and student learning are linked.  Students who have high self-esteem and are confident perform better academically and retain learning more easily.  Family, teachers, friends and the environment all play active roles influencing whether or not a student has positive self-esteem and or lacks confidence.  It is vital that a student is surrounded by encouraging and nurturing people and activities to build their self-confidence from an early age.

 Teachers Instilling Self-Confidence in Their Students

1.   A teacher's role in instilling self-confidence in their students is paramount, as students tend to believe what their teachers think of them. When a teacher holds each of her students in high regard and believes that all of them are capable of performing at a high academic standard, students begin to believe that themselves. Teachers who think all their students are competent create a self-fulfilling prophecy that all students are capable of achieving academic success.

Teachers need to create classroom environments that foster confidence-building skills such as allowing students to partake in a talent show, or a presentation on a special skill they have. If students are given opportunities to show their positive side, this builds self-confidence.

Parental Impact of Student Self Confidence

2.   Parents have an immense impact on student self-confidence: The home environment influences students' self-concept and understanding of the world. If parents and families have provided a warm and loving environment for their child by encouraging independence, fostering learning daily, and telling the child how special they are, chances are that a child will not lack self-confidence.

Parents/families can help their children build self confidence by reading books about confident people with them and discussing traits that make them confident. Parents/families can also have discussion time. Discussion time should be set aside from other activities and should be focused on what is going on with the child at school and how do they feel about themselves. Parents/families can get a good understanding on how their children feel about themselves from these discussions. If a child responds positively continue these discussions as their feelings can change. However, if the child responds negatively it is time to intervene and build their self confidence by encouraging them to take part in some type of sport.

Self-Confidence Affects Student Learning

3.   According to http://www.mindtools.com/selfconf.html, student confidence can affect learning: Students who have a high level of self-confidence perform better academically. Students who believe they are competent learners thrive under challenging conditions and see it as a way to become better students. Having self-confidence allows students to share ideas with their peers more easily than those who lack confidence.

Students who lack self-confidence might benefit from workshops in their school, library, Internet, or anyplace that offers a chance for them to improve their self image, and as a result, boost their learning.