Definition: Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own ability to perform well. During the tween years, self-efficacy plays a particularly important role since tweens face a number of new challenges, especially in the classroom. Self-efficacy is a key factor in resilience: tweens who believe they can succeed are more likely to bounce back and try again after facing a setback. As such, it's important for parents and teachers to encourage self-efficacious beliefs in tweens.
This term was originally defined by psychologist Albert Bandura.
Related concepts: Self-esteem, self-concept