Tom platt

The effects of self efficacy on watersports students ascertaining watersports qualifications.

By Tom Platt Marine Sports Science Foundation Degree Yr2

Abstract When completing qualifications in watersports people’s confidence can hinder or benefit their performance. Ten watersports students were partaking in the RYA windsurfing syllabus with the aim to become an instructor. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire after their last session about their confidence in the sport as they progressed through the syllabus. It seems that as the subjects gained more skills in the sport the perceived confidence grew as well. The results given give partial reason for the discussion of why this happened.

Introduction Self-efficacy expectations are proposed to influence initiating behaviour, how much effort will be applied to attain an outcome and the level of persistence applied to the task in the face of difficulties and setbacks (Bandura, 1997).

Perceived self-efficacy is concerned with people’s beliefs in their capabilities to produce given attainments (Bandura, 1997).

By definition, self-efficacy is the notion that “the kinds of outcomes people anticipate depend on their judgments of how well they will be able to perform” (Slanger & Rudestam, 1997, p. 356; Bandura, 1997).

Many variables stop or hinder watersports students from gaining qualifications, self confidence and self beliefs are one of the highest factors that affect students. Self efficacy is defined as the levels of confidence individuals have in their ability to execute courses of action or attain specific performance outcomes. (Bandura 1977; 1982; 1997). Albert Bandura was the pioneer in creating the self efficacy theory and many other people have used the theory to analyse performance. It is believed that a high level of efficacy will give a greater performance in many areas of life in work

(Stajkovic and Luthans, 1998) and in sport (Moritz et al., 2000) and finally in academic studies (Multon et al., 1991; Lane and Lane, 2001; Pajares, 1996). A person’s level of self-efficacy derives itself from four areas: (a) mastery experience; (b) vicarious experience; (c) verbal persuasion; and (d) physiological states (Bandura, 1997) (which are slightly different to his original set of four sources laid out in his original 1977 document; performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological states (Bandura, 1977) the use of these by coaches and lecturers alike can improve results and performances of students and athletes. The athletes themselves will need to learn to control this in order to gain their desired qualification. Athletes, coaches, and spectators regard self-confidence as a necessary quality for successful sport performance. However, a highly confident athlete may feel comfortable in their chosen discipline, but demonstrate very low self-confidence if required to perform in a different discipline to the one they are most comfortable with. Similarly, that same athlete may be very confident with a specific skill or manoeuvre but not at all confident with another skill or manoeuvre in their chosen discipline in which they feel, overall, very comfortable in. Self-confidence, therefore, appears to be a factor that may come up with different disciplines and in specific disciplines all dependant on the situation (situation-specific). Bandura (1977) has given this type of specific self-confidence the title of self-efficacy and gives good reasoning for it to be the most common cognitive mechanism that affects behavioural change within many life situations. Self-efficacy expectations influence persistence, thought patterns, arousal, and ultimately behaviour (Bandura, 1977; Bandura, Adams, & Beyer, 1977; Bandura & Schunk, 1981). Perceived self-efficacy is thought to determine behavioural outcomes when sufficient incentives and the required skills are present. Support for self-efficacy as a theory of behavioural change has been presented by Bandura and his colleagues as well as a number of researchers in the area of sport psychology (e.g., Feltz, 1982; Feltz & Mugno, 1983; Feltz, Landers, & Raeder, 1979; Weinberg, Gould, Yukelson, & Jackson, 1981).

This investigation is to try and prove or disprove whether there is or is not a connection between a subjects perceived self efficacy and how well they perform in the sport when gaining qualifications in the sport of windsurfing.

Method

Participants were given a questionnaire (appendix 1) to fill out immediately after the last session of the week long planned session. If they were unable to attend it was given to them by other means. The questionnaire is designed to give as much information as possible whilst still being easy to fill out to not cause any confusion.

After the subject has filled out the questionnaire the instructor is asked how far they have progressed in the sport and then an analysis is made. Ensure that all investigations are carried out with complete confidentiality.

1. How long have you been windsurfing? ........ months This question is designed to give an idea of the amount of experience each participant has in the sport.

2. Do you practise outside of the planned sessions? Yes/No If they have practised outside of the planned session then this could have a huge influence on their perceived self confidence as the extra training will have allowed them to learn new skills or practise the ones already learned, raising their confidence and could have an influence on the outcome of the investigation.

3. Did you have any qualifications in windsurfing before you started the syllabus? Yes/No This is another question designed to give an idea of how much experience the subjects have in the sport.

4. When you started did you feel confident that it would be a sport you could do easily? 12345 The subjects may have had a raised perception of their abilities if they have done similar sports such as sailing or surfing for example.

5. How was your overall confidence after the first few sessions? 12345 Some subjects, may have become over confident due to them becoming over confident in their ability this question is designed to find out whether they did or didn’t.

6. After the cancellation of a week how was your confidence when you came back for the next planned sessions? 12345 A week long session was cancelled due to extreme weather so this question is designed to find out whether the subjects confidence had changed through this cancellation 7. During the current week how was your confidence after the first session?12345 8. How much was your overall confidence helped by the instructors. 12345 9. Do you think your performance/ confidence was hindered by others in the group? Yes/No if yes by how much 12345 The last two questions are designed to find out which external factors may have affected the subjects performance.

10. How would you rate your overall confidence in the sport of windsurfing?

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Results See table in appendices All of the subjects had been learning the sport of windsurfing for 8 months with subject 4 and subject 6 practising outside of the planned week session in their own time. None of the subjects had done any windsurfing before the planned sessions meaning they were all learning form the same basis apart from other similar experiences in other sports.

The subjects didn’t seem to be very to be confident when starting the sport with the lowest average of 2 on the designed scale. However after the first week long session the subjects were more confident in their perceived ability with a higher average of 2.5 on the designed scale. After the cancellation week the subject’s confidence seemed not to change much at all with a same average of 2.5 however the was a larger range of 3 compared to 2. The subject’s confidence in their perceived ability was higher than the first session compared to the second with a higher mean of 3

but with a range of 4 showing a difference within the subject’s confidence even though the average was higher overall in the group. Having completed the syllabus all of the subject’s seemed more confident in their perceived ability in the sport of windsurfing with a higher mean of 3.5 and a range of 3. Overall it seemed that many of the subjects were helped out by the instructors and not hindered by the other students except for subjects 1 and 6 with varying degrees of intensity (2 and 5).

Every one of the subjects passed the start windsurfing syllabus set out by the RYA however only seven of the subjects passed the intermediate non planing syllabus and only 3 of the subjects showed the ability in their skills to be able to pass an instructor qualification set out by the RYA. Discussion The subjects seemed to be lacking in confidence in their perceived ability when starting out at the beginning of the course and the second week this could be due to the lack of knowledge about the sport causing nervous and apprehension causing the lack of confidence. As the subjects carried on with the training through the RYA syllabus they grew in confidence as the average numbers in the results grew larger.

Their perceived confidence in their ability grew; this was expected as this is a natural process, in conclusion the subject rise in confidence was expected References Bandura’s theory of self efficacy and the influence of autonomic perception. Journal of Sport Pyschology, 5,161-277.

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Appendix 1 Please score each answer with a rating between 1 and 5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest unless otherwise stated.

1. Are you currently learning the sport of windsurfing? Yes/No 2. How long have you been windsurfing? ........ months 3. Do you practise outside of the planned sessions? Yes/No 4. Did you have any qualifications in windsurfing before you started the syllabus? Yes/No 5. When you started did you feel confident that it would be a sport you could do easily? 12345 6. How was your overall confidence after the first few sessions? 12345 7. After the cancellation of a week how was your confidence when you came back for the next planned sessions? 12345 8. During the current week how was your confidence after the first session?12345 9. How much was your overall confidence helped by the instructors. 12345 10. Do you think your performance/ confidence was hindered by others in the group? Yes/No if yes by how much 12345 11. How would you rate your overall confidence in the sport of windsurfing?

12345 For the instructor: Instructor qualification? Yes/No Intermediate non planing qualification? Yes/No Start windsurfing qualification? Yes/No