Case Study on Self-Efficacy

Executive Summary

This case is focused on the learned helplessness of the student in an algebra class. Anne Sedgewick is the female student which faces the helplessness in learning the algebra. During the class she was being observed looking out of the window hopelessly by its instructor Mrs. Reynolds. Moreover, Mrs. Reynolds observed Anne uninterested in algebra class.

During the sixth week of the algebra class Mrs. Reynolds was intended to cover much of the course during the class and wanted to pass the test from the yesterday's class. Mrs. Reynolds said that she was disappointed with the class' performance and more specifically two of the students which she noted to have their answers look an awful lot alike. After this Mrs. Reynolds walked to the Anne and hands her paper which Anne quickly grabbed and flipped it over because Anne expected lower grades in algebra.

While Mrs. Reynolds started the lecture of quadratic equations she asked students to put their tests and stop discussion where she observed two students still comparing their grades. After this Mrs. Reynolds assigned the class the group tasks to be solved and instructed the students to get into peer groups and select their problem of choice to solve. Students started making groups and Anne seemed uninterested in her group to solve the test. Mrs. Reynolds made her way to the Anne who seemed frustrated and unload her worries about academic performance saying that she is not good at algebra and she could not do it. Mrs. Reynolds argued that she never asked about help and motivated Anne that she had faith in her and as her friends can do she can do as well. Anne appreciated Mrs. Reynolds words but left the class with disappointment.

After a month when Mrs. Reynolds grades the recent unit test she frustrated with the Anne's paper expecting that her previous conversation would have had impact on improvement in the test scores. Here the concern was the perceived inadequacies of Anne with the algebra where she never participated to answer any question in class and always attempted her tests halfheartedly.

Brief summary of issues and proposed solution

In the above case Anne has developed the perceived barrier in her mind about algebra subject and completely given up the efforts. She never participated in the group tests and also never volunteered in the class discussions. She was always observed looking out of the window and day dreaming during algebra class. Her teacher offers her help and also her friends were good at algebra but Anne never made any efforts to ask for help and never step forward for any help either from teacher or from friend.

As she was not interested with the subject and never received any help and always should disinterested behavior with the subject. Regarding this concern Mrs. Reynolds should motivate her to learn the subject and she needs individual focus to overcome this behavior. As this algebra seems a mountain to her then ...