Self-efficacy and academic performance

By J. Lane, A. Lane. 2001

239 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The aim of the present study was to examine the predictive effectiveness of self-efficacy in an academic setting. Seventy-six postgraduate students completed a questionnaire to assess efficacy expectations toward competencies perceived to underpin performance on the course. As there was a 13-week difference in time between completing the self-efficacy questionnaire and completing the performance criterion, it was considered important to assess the stability of self-efficacy measures. To this end, participants completed the same items one week later. Test-retest reliability results indicated that efficacy to cope with "intellectual demands", "pass first time", and "achieve a specific grade" were relatively stable. Performance was assessed using end of the semester grades. Regression results showed that "self-efficacy to cope with the intellectual demands of the program" predicted 11.5% of performance variance. Given that there was a 13-- week time gap between self-efficacy and performance and that the complexity of the task was high, findings from the present study suggest that self-efficacy has some utility in an academic setting. 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). Personal efficacy expectations are proposed to influence initiating behavior, 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). The veracity of this claim has contributed to a great deal of research effort and interest from applied practitioners. It is generally agreed that applied interventions should be founded on a basis of theory and research. The purpose of the present study was to test the self-efficacy and performance relationship in an academic setting. Research findings are generally consistent with the notion that high self-efficacy is associated with successful performance, although the strength of relationships varies between studies. Bandura (1997) argued that for self-efficacy to predict performance outcome, self-efficacy estimates should be made toward factors important to the attainment of the behavior of interest. Self-efficacy measures and performance should lie in the same behavioral domain. It is important, for example, that the competences that researchers select as the basis for self-- efficacy ratings should be the competences required in delivering subsequent performance (Lachman & Leff, 1989; Pajares, 1996; Pajares & Miller, 1995). Thus, self-efficacy research should involve a thorough examination of the competences that underpin performance. A second factor proposed to influence the predictive power of self-efficacy is the knowledge that participants have regarding the task (Bandura, 1997). Complex tasks involving heavy demands on knowledge, cognitive ability, physical and mental effort, behavioral skills, and persistence present real difficulties for accurate self-efficacy estimates, particularly if participants have had no previous experience of such complex tasks (see Mutton, Brown, & Lent; 1991; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998). In a meta-analysis of self-efficacy in an academic setting, Mutton et al. (1991) found that self-efficacy and performance relationships were the strongest on tasks that were relatively short in duration and for which the measure of self-efficacy was taken shortly before performance. Collectively, there has been a great deal of research support for the central tenets of self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1997). Research findings show the weakest self-efficacy and performance relationships are in field studies involving complex tasks. If self-efficacy research is to impact on real-world settings that typically involve complex tasks, there is need for well-designed research to investigate self-efficacy and performance relationships in ecologically valid settings. …

Subfields: Education, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Safety Research

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/e0b775cb6c7ee8bda85068bc024dcfe778b03c24

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Education

In Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

In Safety Research

Citations in the corpus

Race and Gender Differences in Self-efficacy: Assessing the Role of Gender Role Attitudes and Family Background (2008, background): “Bandura’s perceived self-efficacy “refers to beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments (Bandura 1997, p. 3).” Self-efficacy has been shown to impact a wide range of outcomes ranging from academic achievement to exercising birth ”
Awareness of a gender stereotype, personal beliefs and self-perceptions regarding math ability: when boys do not surpass girls (2007, background): “Performance is influenced by one’s perceived competence, by positive expectancies, by one’ estimates of one’s own ego strength, and efficacy, and by self-esteem (e.g., Bandura 1986; Benassi et al. 2001; Zeldin and Pajares 2000).”
Writing essays: does self-efficacy matter? The relationship between self-efficacy in reading and in writing and undergraduate students’ performance in essay writing (2012, background): “…been the focus of education research in a variety of domains such as on academic performance (e.g. Bong, 2001; Bouffard, Boileau, & Vezeau, 2001; Lane & Lane, 2001; Lane et al., 2004; Ofori & Charlton, 2002; Richardson, 2007), academic motivation (e.g. Bong & Clark, 1999), self-regulating…”
Self-Regulated Strategy Development Instruction for Teaching Multi-Step Equations to Middle School Students Struggling in Math (2016, background): “In addition, self-efficacy is viewed as an important aspect affecting academic performance for all students (Lane & Lane, 2001).”
A study of learning and motivation in a new media enriched environment for middle school science (2011, result): “This finding supports the research showing that students’ self-efficacy and their actual performance are highly correlated ( Lane and Lane 2001; Pajares and Miller 1994; Pintrich and Schunk 2002).”
Increasing Academic Self-Efficacy in Statistics With a Live Vicarious Experience Presentation (2012, methodology): “94) used in this study was developed based on a measure from Lane and Lane (2001). Our scale measured the confidence on competencies needed to achieve success in the research design and statistics course.”
Identity styles and academic achievement: mediating role of academic self-efficacy (2009, background): “A body of research’s findings has revealed a positive relationship between selfefficacy beliefs and academic performance (Linnenbrink and Pintrich 2003; Lane and Lane 2001; Wolters and Pintrich 1998; Lane et al. 2004; Newby-Fraser and Schlebusch 1998; Carway et al. 2003).”
Implications from self-efficacy and attribution theories for an understanding of undergraduates' motivation in a foreign language course (2008, background): “For example, self-efficacy has consistently been shown to be positively associated with general academic achievement (e.g., Jackson, 2002; Lane & Lane, 2001; Pajares, 1996b; Pajares & Kranzler, 1995; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990; Schunk, 1981, 1984; Wood & Locke, 1987) and with performance in several…”
A Closer Look at College Students: Self-Efficacy and Goal Orientation (2007, background): “Self-efficacy has consistently been found to be a strong predictor of achievement (Bandura, 1997; Lane & Lane, 2001; Pajares & Miller, 1994; Pintrich & De Groot, 1990; Schunk, 1982) and this relationship was again found in this study.”