Concept Thresholds: The Key to Self-efficacy and Effective Teaching in Higher Education

Abstract

A lecturer’s self-efficacy needs to be informed through reflection with a sound understanding of the concepts or benchmarks that are indicators of effective teaching practices. A strong sense of self-efficacy will have a positive influence on students’ learning and will impact on the lecturer’s teaching behaviour. This article proposes that by using a framework of ‘threshold concepts’, the teacher is able to identify areas where they have transcended a threshold in their professional teacher development and, alternatively, areas where they have become ‘stuck’.