Self-efficacy is one’s beliefs in his or her ability to achieve a set target. Precisely, self-efficacy entails one’s confidence to take control over his or her desire to execute his or her activities to achieve his or her set goals. The concept of self-efficacy was first developed by a psychologist called Albert Bandura. On the other hand, self-regulation is one of the elements of emotional intelligence. It can be defined as one’s ability to manage emotions which may be disruptive and impulsive and the ability for one to think before he or she acts on something.

According to psychologist Albert Bandura, the children who believe that they will perform well are more likely to do well as compared to their counterparts who do not believe. Pupils who have many successful experiences often have more desires for more achievements and this is likely to boost their self-efficacy. Also, the pupils who believe that they can perform well are more likely to handle even the difficult tasks than avoiding them. However, pupils with low-efficacy view the lack of ability as the cause of their failure. Moreover, the experiences of failure that they experience have an adverse effect on their self-efficacy (Dennis & O’Connor, 2013).

On the other hand, self-regulation encompasses the planning and evaluation of one’s progress against a set target. It involves a person’s motivation to gain knowledge and achieve more. Self-regulation enables a learner to know his or her strength, weakness and opportunities. Also, it enables a learner to have a strategy on how to handle and complete learning tasks. Moreover, a learner is able to handle his or her weaknesses and succeed through self-regulation (Angela & Ann, 2006).

Self-efficacy and self-regulation are closely related. For a pupil to perform well in class, he or she has to have self-efficacy. Belief in one-self is fundamental because it motivates one to perform and achieve more. In addition to self-efficacy, one has to regulate him or herself. Having set goals motivates one to work hard towards the target. Moreover, good planning on how to carry out different tasks will help in achieving good results (Bruce & Margret, 2007).

Pupils from grade 1 to 3 should be taught on the importance of emotional intelligence. In this way, they will be able to be aware of their own emotions as well as of others’. This will help them to know how to manage and handle their emotions in different situations. They should also be motivated and thought to believe that they can handle different tasks. Pupils from grade 4 to grade 6 should be taught to embrace change. Being open to changes in situations will enable them to think positively and adapt their behaviors positively. Pupils in grade 7 and 8 should be taught on how to practice self-discipline and considering consequences in different situations. When a pupil remembers what happened when he or she reacted badly in the past, considering consequences becomes important for self-regulation (Pajera & Miller, 2005).

In conclusion, self-efficacy and self-regulation are important traits that foster not only a child’s education but also his or her life as a whole. Having strong beliefs that one will succeed and achieve more motivates one to work hard. Self-regulation through planning, setting goals and having strategies on how to handle different tasks is also a key component in achieving success. Pupils with self-efficacy and self-regulation traits are likely to handle hard tasks because they have a strong belief that they can. A pupil who has a target with a good plan and believes that he or she can achieve success is likely to perform well in class as compared to the ones’ who lack the traits.