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Based on the Achievement Goals Theory and Students' Approaches to Learning, we proposed a model in which students' self‐efficacy acts as a mediator between students' performance‐approach goals orientation and their approach to learning in dealing with academic tasks throughout an academic year. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the model on a sample of 565 first‐year university students at three different moments. The results showed that self‐efficacy in academic tasks at T2 totally mediated the relationship between performance‐approach goals at T1 and the deep approach at T3 and partially the relationship with the surface approach at T3. The results underline that if the direct effect of performance‐approach goals is that of the surface approach intensification without any impact on the deep approach, an increase in the deep approach and a decline in the surface approach can be observed through self‐efficacy in academic tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the collaborative dialogue patterns of pair programming and their impact on programming self‐efficacy and coding performance for both slow‐ and fast‐paced students. Forty‐six postgraduate students participated in the study. The students were asked to solve programming problems in pairs; those pairs' conversations were recorded when they worked on their tasks. Data analysis methods, including lag sequential analysis, cluster analysis and paired t‐test, were employed, and the results showed that (1) four collaborative dialogue patterns emerged: Lecture, Guide, Question and Answer (Q&A), and Inquiry patterns; (2) Guide and Inquiry patterns significantly increased programming self‐efficacy for both fast‐ and slow‐paced students while Lecture and Q&A patterns significantly increased programming self‐efficacy for slow‐paced students but not for fast‐paced students; (3) Guide and Inquiry patterns played a significant role in improving coding performance for slow‐paced students. The study reveals a complex relationship between collaborative dialogue patterns with programming self‐efficacy and coding performance, critically affecting students' pair programming quality. Further details of the findings are also discussed. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Pair programming is promising in promoting problem solving and knowledge transfer and is widely used in programming education.There are different patterns observed in the pair programming process.Collaborative dialogue patterns found in "expert‐novice" pair programming were derived from a single programming task.What this paper adds Four collaborative dialogue patterns of pair programming emerged by increasing the different tasks and experiment duration and expanding the sample size, which further verified the stability of the similar patterns in previous studies.Four collaborative dialogue patterns showed different significant impacts on different students' programming self‐efficacy and coding performance.This study presents the finer‐grained characteristics of collaborative interaction in programmer pairs and contributes to the explanation regarding the different effects of pair programming reported in previous studies.Implications for practice and/or policy Four collaborative dialogue patterns can help the teachers understand the collaborative process of pair programming between fast‐ and slow‐paced students.The collaborative dialogue patterns can be used to formulate effective intervention strategies to stimulate the process of collaboration in pairs and applied in future programming education to provide a new path for cultivating and promoting students' programming abilities.It is worth further investigating the impact of collaborative dialogue patterns on students' computational thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the mediating role of personal growth initiative in the relationship between academic self‐efficacy and engagement by examining gender differences. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on the mediating role of personal growth initiative and its examination of gender differences in the relationship between academic self‐efficacy and engagement. By examining if there are any differences in the links between the variables based on gender, this research gives important insight into how these factors influence academic life for different student groups. The data was collected from 607 (333 female and 274 male) full‐time undergraduate students. LISREL was used to test the structural model. We tested the hypotheses that academic self‐efficacy is positively associated with student engagement, personal growth initiative mediates the relationship between academic self‐efficacy and student engagement, and whether there is a gender difference in this mediation model. The findings show that personal growth initiative has a partial mediating role in the relationship between academic self‐efficacy and engagement. In addition, there is no difference between gender‐based groups, and the bootstrap analyses support these findings. Gender does not make a difference in the model because college students may evaluate higher education as increasing their future employment opportunities. Practitioner points: Personal growth initiative (PGI) mediated the relationship between academic self‐efficacy (ASE) and student engagement among undergraduates.Gender does not make a difference in this model.Practitioners should focus to enhancing students' PGI along with ASE levels to increase their engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving adequate physical activity is an important health goal that many elementary school students are not meeting during the school day. The physical activity leadership (PAL) Program was designed to provide individually tailored supports to improve the quantity and quality of physical activity in schools, as well as promote improvements in self‐efficacy, attitudes, and motivation for physical activity. Self‐efficacy, attitudes, and motivation are three key factors in predicting increases in physical activity, and consequently serve as the cognitive‐affective variables examined in the present study. A sample of 117 fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students and 22 teachers completed several quantitative and open‐ended feedback measures before and after a district‐wide physical activity intervention. Results indicated the PAL Program was highly beneficial to all participants, and several key measures (negative attitudes, motivation to exercise, and perceptions of physical ability) were significantly impacted in the anticipated direction. Open‐ended feedback data collected from teachers involved also suggests that the program was well‐received and was perceived as beneficial. This study provides additional evidence in support of individually tailored physical education interventions. Practitioner Points: The physical activity leadership (PAL) Program provided tailored supports to improve quantity and quality of physical activity in schools, as well as promote improvements in elementary children's self‐efficacy, attitudes, and motivation for physical activity. The PAL Program significantly decreased negative attitudes towards exercise, increased motivation to exercise, and enhanced perceptions of physical ability in children. Students and teachers reported benefits to participating in the program, suggesting that a tailored PE intervention such as this is of value to implement in elementary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Networking helps people explore careers and find jobs. To date, the scientific literature has described few evidence‐based techniques for boosting networking self‐efficacy in university students. Here, two studies assessed the effectiveness of informational interviewing as a theory‐based technique for improving networking self‐efficacy. Study 1 (n = 90) used a pre–post, quasi‐experimental design and found participants who conducted a virtual informational interview with business professionals reported higher networking self‐efficacy at posttest than participants in a comparison condition. Study 2 (n = 72) used a single‐group design with three measurement occasions and found self‐reported learning during an in‐person informational interview moderated the relationship between participants' pre‐ and posttest networking self‐efficacy. Results suggest that informational interviewing can be an effective technique for increasing networking self‐efficacy among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chemistry lessons it is crucial that learners are capable to perform experiments. During their school education students should learn how to formulate hypotheses and how to develop experiments in order to confirm them. They should pay attention to safety aspects during experimentation and be able to write a protocol including how to carry out the experiment, observations and analysis [1, 2]. The educational objective of chemistry lessons is to enable students to obtain these abilities. But do students trust their own abilities and to what degree? Are there differences between students of different types of schools, or different approaches like chemistry lessons and natural sciences? In this article a student survey is presented, which deals with the self‐efficacy expectations of students and the posed questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engineering self‐efficacy, or the belief in one's own capabilities to complete engineering tasks, has been shown to predict greater motivation, academic performance, and retention of engineering students. Investigating the types of experiences that influence engineering students' self‐efficacy can reveal ways to support students in their undergraduate engineering programs. Purpose/Hypothesis(es): The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine how undergraduate engineering students describe the sources of their engineering self‐efficacy and whether patterns in students' responses differed by gender. Design/Method: Participants (N = 654) were undergraduate engineering students attending two public, land‐grant universities in the U.S. Open‐ended survey questions were used to identify the events, social experiences, and emotions that students described as relevant to their engineering self‐efficacy. Chi‐square analyses were used to investigate whether response patterns varied by gender. Results: Students described enactive performances as their most salient source of self‐efficacy, but interesting insights also emerged about how engineering students draw from social and emotional experiences when developing their self‐efficacy. Women more often referred to social sources of self‐efficacy and reported fewer positive emotions than did men. Conclusion: Findings suggest ways that educators can provide more targeted opportunities for students to develop their self‐efficacy in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Social Cognitive Theory, self‐efficacy describes students' beliefs in their ability to be successful within a certain task or domain. Though some contributions to self‐efficacy are generally accepted, it is important to continue to look for additional factors that contribute to self‐efficacy, especially those that provide opportunities for educators to improve their students' self‐efficacy. This study uses regression analyses on a sample (n = 225) of undergraduate students to examine the unique contribution that help‐seeking beliefs make to mathematical self‐efficacy. Results show that help‐seeking beliefs have a positive relationship with self‐efficacy and make a unique, positive contribution to self‐efficacy even when controlling for other sources of self‐efficacy. Results suggest the need for educators to improve student help‐seeking beliefs by purposefully teaching help‐seeking skills and providing more access to effective, individualized help for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aimed to uncover individual differences that can be used to predict, at the start of a course, performance difficulties in female students of an understudied population who are at the beginning of their academic journey. Measures of active and passive procrastination and general self‐efficacy were collected at the start of the semester from students enrolled in one of two courses representative of the general education curriculum at a university in the Middle East. Grades on the first homework assignment and test in each course were used as indices of students' early performance. Measures of procrastination and self‐efficacy failed to adequately predict either early performance or attendance rates. Yet, attendance predicted a portion of the variance in assignment performance. This study suggests that class presence, rather than dispositional individual differences, can shape the early academic success of an understudied student population. Highlights: Individual differences in self‐efficacy and procrastination were ineffective as early indicators of course difficulties.The higher the self‐efficacy of students, the less likely they were to fail to meet deadlines (a feature of passive procrastination).Attendance, rather than dispositional differences, accounted for initial academic success in the selected course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical knowledge is a key competency for psychologists in order to correctly interpret assessment outcomes. Importantly, when learning statistics (and its mathematical foundations), self‐efficacy (defined as an individual's belief to successfully accomplish specific performance attainments) is a central predictor of students' motivation to learn, learning engagement, and actual achievement. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of students' self‐efficacy for statistics and its interrelations with statistics anxiety and students' belief in the relevance of statistics. Here, we present results showing development and validation of a self‐assessment questionnaire for examining self‐efficacy for statistics in psychology students (Self‐Efficacy for Learning Statistics for Psychologists, SES‐Psy). Upon using different methodological approaches, we demonstrate that the SES‐Psy questionnaire has (1) sound psychometric properties, and within our sample of university students, (2) a robust latent structure disclosing three clearly distinctive profiles that are characterized by a complex and nonlinear interplay between perceived self‐efficacy (for basic and advanced statistics), statistics anxiety, and students' belief in the relevance of statistics. Implications for educational settings and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fear appeals are discourses commonly used by teachers to motivate students especially when academic outcomes are paramount. Fear appeals have been associated with better and worse academic performance by the student recipients, with some evidence that fear appeals are detrimental for students who are anxious and have lower self‐efficacy. Little is known about the factors that drive teachers' use of fear appeals beyond a desire to increase motivation to excel. Aims: This study examined the relationship between the use of fear appeals, psychological distress, and self‐efficacy in both teachers and students. Sample: Participants were 377 students (81% female, age range 15 to 18, M = 16.68, SD = 0.49) and 96 teachers (73% female, Mean years teaching = 18.04, SD = 12.39). Methods: Participants completed surveys mid‐way through the first school term of their final year of high school. Student surveys examined student anxiety, depression, stress, self‐efficacy, and experience of teacher fear appeals. Teacher surveys examined teacher anxiety, depression, stress, emotional burnout, self‐efficacy, years of teaching, and use of fear appeals. Results: Teachers use of fear appeals was associated with student distress which was heightened for students with lower academic self‐efficacy. Similarly, teachers' use of fear appeals was associated with higher anxiety and lower self‐efficacy in teachers themselves. Conclusions: Therefore, the use and consequence of fear appeals is strongly linked to both student and teacher self‐efficacy and distress. Given the detrimental impacts of fear appeals on academic performance in vulnerable students, more research is needed on the consequences of fear appeals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence‐based method of promoting oral healthcare behaviour. Conventional training of MI is a time‐consuming and costly aspect in the dental curriculum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptance of a MI‐blended learning programme for dental students. Materials and Methods: Dental students had to perform an interdisciplinary created "ecourse Motivational Interviewing in medical settings" (eMI‐med). After completion, patient‐student interviews were recorded and evaluated using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code (MITI‐d). Furthermore, the students' self‐efficacy regarding smoking cessation and oral hygiene motivation was examined and the acceptance of the tool was enquired. Results: Forty interviews with 25 different students were analysed with the MITI‐d. Students showed high levels of MI‐adherent behaviour (15.45 ± 6.98), open‐ended questions (9.95 ± 6.90) and reflections (10.43 ± 8.85), which were comparable to previous classroom trainings. In addition, 90% of the students preferred e‐learning over classroom teaching. Furthermore, the students' therapeutical self‐efficacies were significantly increased by the programme. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the created e‐learning programme was able to equip dental students with basic knowledge and MI skills. Furthermore, learning MI through e‐learning may heighten the self‐efficacy of dental students regarding smoking cessation and oral hygiene promotion. Students showed a high acceptance of e‐learning, preferring it over traditional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance and value of increased learner participation in effect change research is increasing in its significance and importance across the education sector, guided by current national governance and the move of local authorities to implement action research models to drive improvement. This paper reports on a study led by primary seven pupils in a remote rural Scottish primary school, working collaboratively towards planning, developing, implementing and evaluating learner‐led research. The pupil researchers created their own initiative, introducing dogs to the classroom, which was designed to increase self‐esteem and self‐efficacy for all learners in their school. Through the implementation of the initiative, they were observed to develop their own social and emotional well‐being as they engaged in the process of interviewing, results analysis and subsequent resource dissemination. This article discusses the collaborative and supportive relationship alongside the desire to bring about positive change that must underpin genuine collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used an experimental design to evaluate the impact of three online teaching strategies on students' self‐efficacy to work with suicidal clients. Results showed that the three strategies, informed by adult learning and social learning theory, were equally effective. Implications for programs preparing students for suicide intervention roles are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cross‐lagged panel (regression) model (CLPM) is the usual framework of choice to test the longitudinal reciprocal effects between self‐concept and achievement. Criticisms of the CLPM are that causal paths are over‐estimated as they fail to discriminate between‐ and within‐person variation. The random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) is one alternative that extends the CLPM by partialling out between‐person variance. Aims: We compare analyses from a CLPM and a RI‐CLPM which examine the reciprocal relationships between self‐concept, self‐efficacy, and achievement and determine the extent CLPM estimates are inflated by between‐person variance. Sample(s): Participants (n = 314) were first‐year undergraduate psychology students recruited as part of the STudent Engagement with Education and Learning (STEEL) project. Methods: Participants completed measures of self‐efficacy and self‐concept prior to completing fortnightly quiz assessments. Results: Cross‐Lagged Panel (regression) Model estimates are likely over‐estimated in comparison with RI‐CLPM estimates. Cross‐Lagged Panel (regression) Model analyses identified a reciprocal effects relationship between self‐concept and achievement, confirming established literature. In RI‐CLPM analyses, these effects were attenuated and a skill development association between achievement and self‐concept was supported. A reciprocal relationship between self‐efficacy and achievement was supported. Better model fit was reported for the RI‐CLPM analyses. Conclusions: Prior findings relating to the reciprocal effects of self‐concept and achievement need to be reconsidered. Whilst such a relationship was supported in a CLPM analysis in this study, within an RI‐CLPM framework, only achievement predicted self‐concept. However, in both CLPM and RI‐CLPM models a reciprocal effects model of self‐efficacy and achievement was supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Work‐related learning is particularly important at the start of graduates' careers. Preparing students for work‐related learning is a chief aim of higher education, demonstrating its relevance when investigating the transition to work. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the role of personal factors for work‐related learning during the transition from higher education to work. This study took a longitudinal and person‐centred approach by examining differences in work‐related learning between different motivational profiles based on the conjoint development of self‐efficacy and achievement goals. Sample: Questionnaires were administered four times, starting in the beginning of students' final year of higher education until 4 months after graduation (N = 814). Methods: In order to assess the development of the personal factors, different multi‐indicator latent growth curve models were estimated. Afterwards, a multidimensional latent class growth analysis was used to identify latent profiles of participants with similar growth trajectories. Differences in work‐related learning were investigated by a multivariate analysis of variance. Results and Conclusions: The results revealed an average increase in self‐efficacy, learning‐goal, and performance‐approach orientation, indicating that the transition to work triggers change in these personal factors. Performance‐avoidance orientation decreased on average. Four distinct motivational profiles were discerned: strongly efficacious and approach‐oriented, moderate efficacious and approach‐oriented, moderate efficacious and learning‐oriented, and undecided profile. Furthermore, differences were found concerning work‐related learning, in which the strongly efficacious and approach‐oriented profile reported more participation in formal and informal learning activities using personal sources, while the undecided profile showed least participation in the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescents' evaluation of overall life in response to adverse life circumstances may depend on the features of events as well as the resources of the youngsters, but there is a lack of research examining whether these factors relate to life satisfaction trajectories from early adolescence to late adolescence (ranging from age 12 to 19). This study analyzes whether controllable negative life events, internal resources, (e.g., self-efficacy) and external resources, (e.g., three sources of social support) predict life satisfaction trajectories, and whether these resources moderate the negative impacts of controllable events on life satisfaction trajectories.Methods: Multilevel growth modeling was used to analyze a three-wave, nationally representative sample consisting of 818 adolescents from poor families in Taiwan. At time T1, participants were junior high school students (mean age = 13.52, SD=.83).Results: The results revealed that controllable negative events reduced the initial state of life satisfaction, whereas self-efficacy and family support enhanced the initial life satisfaction. In addition, instead of providing a buffering effect, self-efficacy strengthened the link between baseline controllable events and changes in life satisfaction.Conclusions: These findings suggest that peer support, rather than family and teacher support, moderates the impact of controllable negative events on life satisfaction over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the size of university classes along with the growing number of students to be tested for final examination raise unprecedented challenges relating to the management, monitoring and evaluation of learning. Technology may provide some solutions that deserve to be investigated. This paper explores the potentialities and limitations of Computer‐Based Testing (CBT), specifically BYOD e‐test, compared to traditional Paper‐Based Testing (PBT) to verify whether, and to what extent, an electronic mode of assessment can become a suitable alternative to PBT. It is based on a study carried out at the University of Florence during 2016/17. 606 students participated in the study, of whom 443 opted for CBT using their own devices, while 163 preferred PBT. Participants who experienced CBT also answered a survey on perceptions, self‐efficacy and satisfaction. The results show that students' performances were better with CBT, and that a positive relationship exists between the perceived level of self‐efficacy and the propensity to adopt digital tests. In addition, students greatly appreciated the electronic system, especially for the possibility of immediate feedback. Some critical issues emerged relating to on‐screen reading, which suggests the need for careful design of testing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated preservice teachers' self‐efficacy in classroom management involving students with symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 137 Chinese preservice teachers were randomly presented with one of four vignettes involving a student character with ADHD symptoms, with manipulations including the character's gender and diagnostic label of ADHD. Upon reading the vignette, participants responded to questions concerning their self‐efficacy in inclusive classroom management involving the character. Findings based on analysis of covariance indicated an interaction effect of the vignette character's gender and label on teachers' self‐efficacy. Specifically, teachers perceived greater self‐efficacy in a classroom involving a girl with an ADHD label than in a classroom involving a girl with no label or a boy with a label. Findings enriched the literature concerning the roles of gender and label in preservice teachers' self‐efficacy toward inclusive classroom management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: What is genuine participation in the context of design practice? Genuine participation is often considered the missing element that differentiates a successful participation project from an unsuccessful participation project. But what, exactly, does genuine mean and, more importantly for research purposes, how can the ‘genuineness’ of participation be measured? The present study is a first step to explore a possible metric for genuine participation. To begin, a questionnaire developed from six key topics of focus within participatory design research was created and administered to university design students. The results, analysed by a principal component analysis, yielded statistically reliable, strong, and otherwise clear and coherent patterns. These patterns were then qualitatively interpreted. The results indicated that intrinsic motivation, participation self‐efficacy and positive group affect can serve as reliable metrics for measuring the quality of the participation experience. It is proposed that future research into genuine participation consider the impact of these three variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter covers the role of students' self-efficacy in developing their leadership competencies. Practical strategies and recommendations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines academic self-efficacy and gender as predictors of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in adolescence. In addition, the role of gender was considered as a moderator in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and internalizing/externalizing difficulties. Participants were 4,318 predominantly African American, low-income high school students who completed self-report measures on the constructs of interest. Academic self-efficacy and gender were both significant predictors of risk for internalizing problems, whereas only academic self-efficacy predicted risk for externalizing (hyperactivity/distractibility) problems. Gender did not predict externalizing difficulties, nor did gender serve as a moderator in any analysis. Implications include focusing on academic self-efficacy in the development of strategies for prevention and intervention of internalizing and externalizing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the need for enhanced career and college readiness, a classroom guidance curriculum was studied using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent groups quasi-experimental design. Data from 163 ninth-grade students enrolled in a low-performing high school were analyzed via hierarchical linear modeling. The analyses indicated a treatment effect on postsecondary education-going knowledge and career and college readiness self-efficacy, accounting for 100% of the variance explained by classroom-level factors and indicating potential for the classroom guidance curriculum. The findings encourage career and professional school counselors to proactively employ similar classroom guidance programs aimed at encouraging high school students to consider postsecondary education opportunities. Future research could focus on component analyses of the curriculum, broadening the target populations, using mixed-method designs, and additional validity studies of the dependent measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors evaluated an unfolding case-based approach to a practicum in counseling course infusing crisis, trauma, and disaster preparation for changes in students' crisis self-efficacy across a semester. The course, informed by constructivist-developmental pedagogy and centered on the unfolding case, resulted in significant increases in students' crisis self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Diseases such as skin cancer often have a very long latency period. For adolescents, especially, it may be difficult to grasp that current risk behavior is related to future health outcomes. This study examines the role of health-related time perspective (i.e. the degree to which short-term outcomes are discounted over long-time health benefits) within the Health Action Process Approach ( HAPA). More specifically, based on expectancy*value theory, we tested whether time perspective interacts with self-efficacy, the central variable in this approach. Methods A longitudinal study with three measurement points across one year assessed 156 high school students. Data were analyzed using structural equation models. Results While time perspective had no direct association with sunscreen use intentions, there was an interaction effect with self-efficacy; the shorter the time perspective, the smaller the association of self-efficacy with intention. Intention in turn predicted planning and sunscreen use at Time 3 (one year later). Conclusions In order to maximise the impact of early onset measures for skin cancer prevention targeting the motivation for sunscreen use in adolescents, time perspective should be addressed in comprehensive sun protection interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Self-efficacy has been shown to be positively related to undergraduate engineering students' achievement. Designing self-efficacy measures to assess the multifaceted skills required of engineers could improve the predictive relationship between efficacy beliefs and performance. Purpose This study evaluates the factor structure, validity, and reliability of general and skill-specific engineering self-efficacy measures created for use with undergraduate engineering students. Design/Method Self-efficacy items used for the measures were created and adapted from those used previously. Survey responses were collected from engineering students attending two southeastern universities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine factor structure. Multiple regression analyses examined the relationship between engineering self-efficacy and academic achievement and intent to persist in engineering, both uniquely and when considering other motivation variables. Results Factor analysis results suggested two self-efficacy scales. The General Engineering Self-Efficacy Scale is unidimensional; the Engineering Skills Self-Efficacy Scale is multidimensional with three factors representing experimental skills, tinkering skills, and design. General engineering self-efficacy predicted academic achievement, even when prior achievement was controlled. Students' intrinsic value in engineering predicted their intentions to persist in the engineering profession. Conclusions We found evidence for the reliability, validity, and predictive utility of the engineering self-efficacy scales. These scales can be used to assess undergraduate students' beliefs in their capabilities to perform tasks in their coursework and future roles as engineers and to investigate the association between self-efficacy and academic outcomes of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The potential role of culture in the development and operation of self-efficacy has been acknowledged by researchers. Clearer understanding of this cultural impact will benefit from research that shows how the same efficacy information is evaluated across cultures. Aims We tested whether two sources of self-efficacy information delivered by multiple social agents (i.e., vicarious experience and social persuasion) were weighed differently by adolescents in different cultures. Sample Of 2,893 middle school students in Korea ( n = 416), the Philippines ( n = 522), and the United States ( n = 1,955) who completed the survey, 400 students were randomly pooled from each country. Methods Invariance of the measurement and of the latent means for self-efficacy and self-efficacy sources across the groups was tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Predictive utility of the self-efficacy sources was compared by multigroup structural equation modelling. Results Compared to the students in the two collectivistic countries, the US students reported significantly higher mathematics self-efficacy. Whereas the efficacy beliefs of the Korean and the US students were predicted equally well by the vicarious experience from their teachers and the social persuasion by their family and peers, those of the Filipino adolescents were best predicted by the social persuasion from their peers. Conclusions This study provided empirical evidence that socially conveyed sources of self-efficacy information are construed and evaluated differently across cultures, depending on who delivered the efficacy-relevant information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this article is to provide educators with clear definitions of motivational factors in reading so that instructional planning can capitalize on important distinctions. The authors present definitions of a small set of related motivational concepts (including attitudes, interests, self-efficacy, self-concept, goals, and value) and show how awareness of the distinctions can lead to more effective teaching. They provide descriptions of appropriate assessments and detail effective instructional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author investigated expectations about achievement emotions characterizing job selection interviews while considering literature on the influence of positive and negative affect. Study participants were 282 Italian 12th graders and university students who were given a questionnaire asking them to imagine being interviewees in a future interview and to evaluate the intensity of interviewees' and interviewers' emotions. Expectations varied according to the kind of emotion, and interviewees and interviewers differentiated in terms of activating and deactivating emotions. Positive emotions prevailed for interviewees, with younger students giving higher scores. Some emotions were linked to career self-efficacy and job market experience. Results are discussed in light of applied relevance for employment counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background After graduation from secondary school, academic tasks (i.e., learning contents) are no longer structured in terms of school subjects (i.e., English, mathematics). Therefore, learners lack past performance and mastery experience to inform their expectancy of success (i.e., ability beliefs) regarding novel tasks. Aims In this paper, we investigate how individuals establish expectancy of success regarding novel academic tasks. We hypothesize that individuals draw on ability beliefs regarding known tasks that are deemed similar to novel tasks to estimate expectancy of success (generalization hypothesis). Sample(s) Participants were first-year students ( n = 354) in the field of business administration (Study 1), and (Study 2) psychology students predominantly ( n = 174). Methods In Study 1, we analysed relations between ability beliefs (i.e., academic self-concepts of ability) regarding four school subjects and four fields of study varying in similarity. In Study 2, we assessed mastery experience regarding two school subjects and expectancy of success (i.e., self-efficacy) regarding a fictitious course manipulating participants' similarity judgement. We analysed the data using mainly structural equation modelling. Results Results support the generalization hypothesis regarding both indicators of expectancy of success (i.e., self-concept and self-efficacy). Subject-specific self-concepts of ability predict study-related self-concepts of ability according to individuals' similarity judgements. Subject-specific mastery experience predicts expectancy of success only if the respective school subject is emphasized in the course description. Conclusion Individuals apparently draw on established ability beliefs regarding known tasks to inform their expectancy of success regarding novel tasks. Findings further our understanding of the development of motivation to learn in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Longstanding data have established that women earn about 20% of undergraduate degrees in engineering; they also have lower academic self-efficacy in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields than do men. This study examines these findings through a longitudinal design that explores whether cooperative education (co-op) can improve the retention of women (and men) in their undergraduate studies. Purpose This study examines the effect on retention of demographic characteristics, cooperative education, contextual support, and three dimensions of self-efficacy - work, career, and academic - and their change over time. It incorporates longitudinal measures and a data check at the end of the students' fifth year. Design/Method Respondents filled out 20-minute surveys, approximately one year apart, during three separate time periods. The study introduced and validated a number of new scales. The data for each time period were submitted to successive analyses. Results The findings verified the study's pathways model. Academic achievement and academic self-efficacy, as well as contextual support in the case for women, in all time periods were critical to retention. Work self-efficacy, developed by students between their second and fourth years, was also an important factor in retention, although it was strongly tied to the students' participation in co-op programs. Higher retention was associated with an increased number of co-ops completed by students. Conclusion Relationships between work self-efficacy and co-op participation and between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement play a critical role in retention for both male and female students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cocurricular and extracurricular activities benefit precollege students. Yet connections between these activities and academic outcomes in college are mixed or inconclusive. Little is known about how involvement in cocurricular activities is associated specifically with academic engagement in college. Purpose (Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to understand the connection between cocurricular activities and academic engagement for engineering and computer science undergraduates. We hypothesized that cocurricular activities and engagement are not directly related but are associated with one another through interactions with academic self-efficacy. Design/Method This study surveyed engineering and computer science students at four different institutions. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression models to understand the relationships between cocurricular activities and academic engagement. Results While relationships between cocurricular activities and academic engagement were not significant, interaction effects with academic self-efficacy were significant. Academic cocurricular activities interacted positively with, whereas nonacademic cocurricular activities interacted negatively with, relationships between self-efficacy and academic engagement. Conclusions Results show that connections between cocurricular involvement and academic engagement not only occur in interactions with self-efficacy, but also depend on the nature of the cocurricular activity. Most students who are active in cocurricular activities report higher levels of engagement than do their nonactive peers for the same levels of self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature review explores the factors that contribute to academic persistence for adult learners. The aim of the study is to identify current research-based strategies aimed at supporting learner persistence, particularly for low-skilled adults. Elements of three theoretical frameworks, namely, expectancy-value theory (EVT), goal theory (GT) and self-determination theory (SDT) are conceptualised in a new, melded cognitive model to explain better the constructs that contribute to academic persistence. These theories are used to frame and explain the challenges that adult learners face when returning to school and to understand better the psychosocial demands on adult learners, based on social cognitive theory. This study is particularly significant in the light of current national attention directed towards redesigning adult basic education programmes to include more workforce development and strategies aimed at accelerating the progress of adult learners through basic skills and into post-secondary education and/or career training. Questions guiding the current study include identifying research-based strategies that instructors can use, and elements of programme design that support student persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study investigated the significant differences in students’ self-efficacy and their involvement in learning science. Nine hundred and twenty-two elementary school fifth graders, 499 junior high school eighth graders, and 1455 senior or vocational high school eleventh graders completed the students’ questionnaire. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and independentt-tests compared the significant similarities and differences across school levels and genders. The initial findings were as follows: A sharp decline in boys’ and girls’ self-efficacy scores from elementary to secondary school levels; boys have significantly higher self-efficacy scores than girls at vocational and senior high school levels; students with more involvement in science learning presented significantly higher self-efficacy scores than those with less involvement. The significant discrepancies in terms of gender and age in students’ self-efficacy and involvement in learning science need to be addressed. Implications and limitations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The prevalence of high levels of stress as well as its multilevel consequences is well documented amongst students in the health sciences, and particularly in dentistry. However, investigations of perceived stress amongst Spanish-speaking student groups are sparse. This study aimed to (i) describe the translation, adaptation and psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Dental Environment Stressors questionnaire and (ii) to examine the perceived sources of stress and their associations with the students' study year and gender in two dental schools in Latin America. Materials and methods All students officially registered in the dental schools of the University of San Sebastian ( USS) in Chile and the Catholic University of Cordoba ( CUC) in Argentina were invited to participate in the study. The DES30 questionnaire was adapted in Spanish using translation/back-translation, an expert bilingual committee, and consensus building. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the instrument's internal consistency, and iterated principal factor analysis with promax rotation was employed to explore its underlying factor structure. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate methods were used to examine the patterns of association between individual stressors, factor scores and students' characteristics. Results Three hundred and four students comprised the study's analytical sample, with two-thirds of those being female. The DES30- Sp demonstrated good internal consistency ( Cronbach's α = 0.89). A four-factor solution emerged and included 'academic workload', 'clinical training', 'time constraints' and 'self-efficacy beliefs' factors. 'Fear of failing a course or a year', 'examinations and grades' and 'lack of time for relaxation' were amongst the top individual-item stressors reported by students in both schools. Amongst this group of undergraduate dental students, those in Argentina, in higher study year, and females reported higher perceived stress. Conclusions Increased workload, time constraints and some aspects of clinical training were the top stressors of approximately 300 Chilean and Argentinean dental undergraduates. Some variations between schools, males and females and study years were noted. The Spanish version of the DES30 questionnaire performed well, but future studies should evaluate the instrument's properties in larger and more diverse dental student populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Reader Self-Perception Scale 2 survey (RSPS2) that indicates self-perceived reading motivation in adolescents and focuses on how this survey can aid literacy teachers. The authors look at the relationship between reading and self-efficacy among students, and the survey's emphasis on several contextual areas of a student's reading ability, including an Observational Comparison (OC), Social Feedback (SF), and Physiological States (PS). Topics include the scale's indication about the need for students to receive reading interventions, and the role of the classroom environment in reading competency.

In this study, we investigated the effects of functional group counseling on inspiring low achievers’ self-worth and self-efficacy in Taiwan. Forty-three 10th grade low-achieving students volunteered as the Experimental Group to join a 24-week intervention, which integrated and utilized functional group counseling; another 51 10th grade low-achieving students volunteered to be Comparison Group I. In addition, 43 10th grade moderate or high academic achieving students volunteered to be Comparison Group II. All participants completed the Vocational School Student Questionnaire at the beginning and end of this study to measure their self-worth and self-efficacy. In addition, six target students (two boys and four girls) with the lowest total scores on self-worth or self-efficacy in the pretest were selected from the Experimental Group to be interviewed at the end of the intervention and observed weekly. Analyses of variance, analyses of covariance, and paired t-tests assessed the similarity and differences among groups. The initial findings were as follows: Experimental group students had significantly higher scores on self-efficacy and self-worth than both Comparison Group I and Group II students and functional group counseling was shown to significantly affect the low-achieving students. Qualitative results from interviews and observations were used for triangulation and consolidation of quantitative results. Implications of the study included the recommended use of functional group counseling with low-achieving students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study evaluated the impact of a preventive intervention program focused on self-understanding and interpersonal interactions to prevent psychosocial distress among Japanese university students. Two hundred and twenty-two undergraduate students were divided into a treatment group and a control group to complete Time 1 and Time 2 surveys. The intervention program included eleven weekly sessions covering self-understanding, self-control, interpersonal relationships, problem solving, conflict resolution, and stress management. Both female and male students in the treatment group reported a significant increase in social self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships from Time 1 to Time 2, but no significant changes were noted in the control group. Anxiety significantly decreased from Time 1 to Time 2, and no difference in depression was noted in the female treatment group, although anxiety and depression significantly increased in the female control group. The intervention program effectively prevented some aspects of psychosocial distress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The onset of IBS is in adolescence in many cases. However, the features of adolescent IBS were generally lacking. The objective of this research was to know the features of adolescent IBS in Japan. In 2004 and 2009, we randomly selected Junior high school students in Miyagi prefecture, Japan, according to population of each area. Eight hundred thirty-three boys and 888 girls (age: 15 years old) in 2004 and 256 boys and 335 girls (age: 14 years old) in 2009 participated in this study. They fulfilled self-reported questionnaires those include Rome-II Modular Questionnaire, Self-reported IBS Questionnaire, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Short Form-36 ver.2, other questions on their lives and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. The prevalence of adolescent IBS was 14.6% in 2004 and 19% in 2009. Compare with students without abdominal symptoms, IBS showed lower health-related QOL and self-efficacy and complained more sleep disturbance, traumatic episodes and perceived stress in both researches. IBS girls were worse in both physical and psychological aspects. They also have alexithymic tendency and it influenced on severity of IBS symptoms. Adolescent IBS had almost the same prevalence as adult IBS, however the rate of IBS subtypes was different. They also had psychological problems in addition to physical conditions even though most of them were non-consulters. Improvement of self-efficacy and alxithymia may help to prevent and treat IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is threefold: In the first section, an overview of research and theory on the self-efficacy construct is provided, and the central role of self-efficacy in service-learning community action research is demonstrated. The second section reviews over 10 years of research validating the Community Service Self-Efficacy Scale (CSSES), which measures the individual's confidence in his or her own ability to make clinically (meaningfully) significant contributions to the community through service. Within the context of this review, recent (previously unpublished) validation research is also reviewed. Alternate versions of the CSSES, each of which was developed for a specific purpose, are presented. The third section provides recommendations for further research focused on (a) validating the CSSES and (b) examining self-efficacy as an outcome, moderator, and mediating variable in service-learning community action research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The strategies students adopt in their study are influenced by a number of social-cognitive factors and impact upon their academic performance. Aims. The present study examined the interrelationships between motivation orientation (intrinsic and extrinsic), self-efficacy (in reading academic texts and essay writing), and approaches to studying (deep, strategic, and surface). The study also examined changes in approaches to, studying over time. Sample. A total of 163 first-year undergraduate students in psychology at a UK university took part in the study. Methods. Participants completed the Work Preference Inventory motivation questionnaire, self-efficacy in reading and writing questionnaires and the short version of the Revised Approaches to Study Inventory. Results. The results showed that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation orientations were correlated with approaches to studying. The results also showed that students classified as high in self-efficacy (reading and writing) were more likely to adopt a deep or strategic approach to studying, while students classified as low in self-efficacy (reading and writing) were more likely to adopt a surface approach. More importantly, changes in students' approaches to studying over time were related to their self-efficacy beliefs, where students with low levels of self-efficacy decreased in their deep approach and increased their surface approach across time. Students with high levels of self-efficacy (both reading and writing) demonstrated no such change in approaches to studying. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the important role of self-efficacy in understanding both motivation and learning approaches in undergraduate students. Furthermore, given that reading academic text and writing essays are essential aspects of many undergraduate degrees, our results provide some indication that focusing on self-efficacy beliefs amongst students may be beneficial to improving their approaches to study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the exercise stereotype and the non-exerciser stereotype on male targets, and the moderating effects of impression motivation in 184 female and 73 male Swedish undergraduate students. The participants read a description of one of the following male targets: a typical exerciser, an active living target, an excessive exerciser, a non-exerciser, or a control target, and then rated these targets on 12 personality (e.g. lazy–hard worker, dependent–independent) and eight physical (e.g. scrawny–muscular, sick–healthy) dimensions. They also completed the Impression Motivation scale of the Self-Presentation in Exercise Questionnaire, measuring motivation to self-present as an exerciser. MANCOVAs demonstrated a significant main effect for both personality and physical attributes ( P<0.05). Overall, the typical exerciser, the active living target, and the excessive targets received more positive ratings than, in particular the non-exerciser target but also the control target. The non-exerciser target was rated less favorably compared with the control target. The impression motivation of the participants moderated the exercise status/rating relationship for the physical but not the personality attributes. The results of the study are discussed in the context of gender and cultural aspects of the exercise stereotype phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although self-efficacy is a construct found throughout research literature, little is known about the psychological mechanisms that give rise to perceptions of personal confidence. This situation is changing as a result of the introduction of the knowledge-and-appraisal personality architecture (KAPA; Cervone, 2004 ), a theory proposed to explain the origins of self-efficacy percepts. In the present study, KAPA's framework was utilized to predict university students' self-efficacy toward 3 physically demanding leisure activities. The results support the theory's validity. Confidence was strongly related to how personal characteristics were thought to influence performance of a leisure activity. Self-efficacy was significantly higher when personal attributes were thought to help with performance vs. when attributes were believed to hinder performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Studies have shown that self-efficacy, aspirational, and other psychosocial influences account for considerable variance in academic achievement through a range of mediational pathways, although no research to date has tested the mediational relationships identified. The present research investigated the structural relations among self-efficacy, academic aspirations, and delinquency, on the academic achievement of 935 students aged 11–18 years from ten schools in two Australian cities. The Children''s Self-Efficacy Scale, Adapted Self-Report Delinquency Scale (Revised), and Children''s Academic Aspirations Scale were administered to participants prior to academic achievement being assessed using mid-year school grades. Structural equation modeling was employed to test three alternative models for the relationships from academic, social, and self-regulatory efficacy on academic achievement. A partial mediation model showed the best overall fit to the data. Academic and self-regulatory efficacy had an indirect negative effect through delinquency and a direct positive effect on academic achievement. Academic and social self-efficacy had positive and negative relationships, respectively, with academic aspiration and academic achievement; however, the relationship between academic aspiration and academic achievement was not significant in the final model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this investigation was to examine the influence of self-efficacy and other motivational self-beliefs on the achievement of college intermediate French students ( N= 303). Self-efficacy for self-regulation was a stronger predictor of intermediate French language achievement than were self-efficacy to obtain grades in French, French anxiety in reading and listening, and French learning self-concept. Students who perceived themselves as capable of using effective metacognitive strategies to monitor their academic work time effectively were more apt to experience academic success in intermediate French. Female students reported greater self-efficacy for self-regulation, interest, value, and enjoyment in learning about both the French language and culture than did male students, despite the fact that men and women had similar achievement. Findings are interpreted from the perspective of Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory as it related to foreign language motivation and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]