Taking responsibility and persistence are keys to success
Excellence is not an accident but is crafted – that is according to education expert Dr Ragnar Purje.
The CQUniversity education academic and author of Responsibility Theory®, Dr Purje explained that achievement comes when students realise that they are the narrators of their own success stories.
“Self-efficacy is an extraordinarily powerful and self-empowering construct, especially when students realise they are in charge of their beliefs, their motivations, their thoughts, their behaviours, the choices they make and the achievements they accomplish,” said Dr Purje.
“Achievement and excellence are not accidents; they are crafted by the actions of the individual. Self-efficacy helps with the crafting.”
And it’s this self-efficacy that Dr Purje believes teachers have a role to play in.
“One way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences. This is about teachers continually supporting, encouraging and advising students – at all of their development ages – to persist until they master a task.
“This could be as relevant as working with a student to help them understand what one plus one is; how this result can be achieved; and then for the student to be able to use this knowledge to provide an example of their understanding.
“Achieving this goal requires persistence on the part of the student and ongoing mentoring and encouragement on the part of the teacher.”
Dr Purje said encouragement and objective advice from teachers helps students realise that their choices lead to consequences.
“If a student is working hard, the effort of the student needs to be recognised. Plus, when, not if mistakes are being made, this also needs to be acknowledged.
“If the student is discouraged or if the student is actually choosing to not put in the necessary effort, this also needs to be recognised and discussed.
“The purpose of this process is to help students realise that whatever behaviour they choose to present is not only their choice, but it is also their responsibility; which also means their choices will always lead to consequences.”
Dr Purje said the aim in this process is to help the student deeply understand the authentic power they have in relation to their personal effort, their learning, and their choices.
Dr Ragnar Purje is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at CQUniversity in the School of Education and the Arts. Dr Purje works with Professor Ken Purnell specialising in classroom behaviour management strategies. He is the author of Responsibility Theory®.
Dr Purje recently wrote on this topic for Education Today.
