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1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.180

Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 765–768

WCES-2011

The relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement in high school students

Shahrzad Elahi Motlagh a, Kourosh Amrai b *, Mohammad Javad Yazdani c,Haitham altaib Abderahim d, Hossein Sourie

a M.A , Islamic Azad University, Iran b M.A ,University of Tehran, Iran c M.A ,University of Tehran, Iran

d M.A , University of Tehran , Iran e M.A ,University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Purpose: Aim of the current study was to investigate the relation between self-efficacy and academic achievement in high school students. Method: In this study, 250 students in the academic year 2010/2011 were selected by means of multistage cluster sampling and completed self-efficacy scale. To measure achievement score grade point average in classes was used. To analyze data correlation coefficient and regression analysis was used. Results: analysis of data revealed that self-evaluation, self-directing and self-regulation are correlated with academic achievement. Among all variables entered in the equation model only self-evaluation and self-regulation entered the regression model explaining 10 percent variance of academic achievement in 2 steps. Conclusion: according to the results, self-efficacy is a considerable factor in academic achievement. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: self- efficacy, achievement, students;

1. Introduction

In social cognitive theory, people’s sense of personal efficacy to exercise some control over events that affect their life is considered to be the most influential aspect of self-knowledge, and a key element in the exercise of control and personal agency. “Perceived self-efficacy is defined as; people’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and executive courses of action required attaining designated types of performances” (Bandura, 1986. P. 391).

The beliefs of self- efficacy upon the preference and choice, level of attempt, the anxiety experienced, persistency the difficulties and the belief that the losing should bear an informative role for the recovery feedback or may act as a destructive factor (Bandra, 1986), the people with weaker level of self- efficacy take the assignments harder then what they truly are which results in sickness, depression and a limited view on problem solving (Pajares, 2002).

* Shahrzad Elahi Motlagh. Tel.: +989194467580; fax: +982188288603. E-mail address: amrai@ut.ac.ir.

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The studies strongly support the self-efficacy role on improvement of people's activity (Bandra & Locke (2003). A strong relation between self- efficacy and general performance of the individuals was observed. Staikovic & Luthans (1988) through a research on 114 experimental studies which had considered the relationship between the self – efficacy and the performance found out that there is a strong and positive relationship between the self-efficacy and the performance. In academic achievements, Multon Brown & Leni (1991) through a research on 38 studies within the years 1977 to 1988 found the positive relationship between the self-efficacy and the academic achievements.

Due to the fact that the self-efficacy cannot be presumed as the direct reason for the academic achievement, however, it will be the self- regulation that causes the academic achievements. The self-efficacy will cause the use of self- regulation and therefore the relation between self-efficacy and the self- regulation may be defined as follows: self-efficacy for self- regulated learning. The self-efficacy for self- regulated learning refers to the individual's beliefs on application of the self- regulation processes such as the goal setting, self monitoring, strategy use, self- evaluation and self- reaction (Bandura, 2006).

Several researches have shown the positive relation between the self-efficacy and self- regulated learning and the academic achievements. (Wigfield, Eccles, Schiefele, Roeser & Kean, 2006; Zimmerman, Banudra, & Martinez, Pons, 1992; Denissen Zarrete & Eccles, 2007).

The self-efficacy beliefs are important as through them the learning processes, motivations, passion and selectiveness regulates the individual's use in different areas (Bandura, 1986). Accordingly, pour Jafar Doust (2007) according to the definition of the self-efficacy for the self- regulation (Bandura 2006) considers the self-efficacy as a born capability that should be organized in behaviour, sensational, social and learning sub- skills including the self- believe (Self- confidence, problem- solving, positive thinks), self- control, regulating the thinks and behaviour to reach the goal, self evaluation, self- monitoring, positive thinking, controlling the behaviour to reach the goal step by step, and self simulation to overcome the losing. The aim of this research is the prediction in the individual's academic achievements through the sub- skills in the self-efficacy skills in the model presented by pour Jafar Doust.

2. Method & materials

In this consistency model, 250 students will be selected through the cluster sampling in several stages from among the girls' high schools in Tehran who fill the questionnaires. Also, the academic average scores of the students were considered as the academic achievement.

The self-efficacy questionnaire: This questionnaire was made and normalized by pour Jafar Doust (2007). Cronbach's Alpha 0.79 and the consistency co- efficient of 0.61 were achieved in this model by the scale of self- esteemed. In this research Cronbach's Alpha 0.82 was achieved.

3. Results

Table 1 illustrates the consistency matrix of self-efficacy sub- factors and the academic achievement. Table 1: Matrix of self-efficacy sub- factors and the academic achievement

654321

-1. self-believe -0/34**2. self-regulation

-0/52**0/35**3. self-evaluation -0/57**0/53**0/26**4. Self-stimulation

-0/21**0/35**0/32**0/25**5. self-monitoring-0/060/070/20**0/14*0/11**6. academic achievement

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*= p<0/05 **= P<0/01

To predict and show academic achievement through the self-efficacy factors of the step by step regression (Table 2).

Table 2 The summary of the results of step by step analysis of the academic achievements through the self-efficacy sub- factors Step Variable F R 2R B

1 7/75 0/174 0/030

Self-evaluation 0/174** 0/058

2 15/02 0/329 0/108

Self-evaluation 0/388** 0/129

Self-regulation 0/352** 0/108

**= P<0/01

Table 2 shows that from among the four sub- factors, two factors only may predict the academic achievements. In first the self- evaluation of 0.030 and in the second step with inserting the self- regulation could totally clarify the variance of 0.108.

4. Conclusions

The findings show that the self-efficacy sub-factors from the self-efficacy definition of Bandura self- regulation (2001) may evaluate the academic achievements. This model totally clarifies 0.10 of the academic achievement and the rest of the variance is taken from the variables out of the model. The low scale of prediction level may be referred to the general and non- limited area of the proposed model.

Bandura (1993) takes the self-efficacy as the context – specific, assignment- specific while pour Jafar Doust's model (2007) takes the self-efficacy sub- skills in general refer to the academic achievements. Similarly, the justification of the fact that a general model of self-efficacy can predict the academic achievement in one area can take the self-efficacy as a personality character. This personality character may be constant up to some extent but changeable and consists of the former self-efficacy feelings of the individual in different areas which affects on the future performance of the individuals in specific areas.

Further, the findings have shown that from among the self-efficacy sub-factors, self- evaluation and self- regulation are of the best prediction factors of academic achievement. Where, these two factors are general and very much close to the meaning of self-efficacy for self- regulation, the findings can be taken in direction to the previous findings in areas of self-efficacy for self- regulation learning with the academic achievement. (Wigfield, Eccles, Schiefele, Roeser & Kean, 2006; Zimmerman, Denissen, Zarrete & Eccles, 2007), therefore, the self-efficacy and its sub- skills insight should be emphasized in education.

References

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