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Introduction: Research on the influence of academic self-efficacy and educational aspirations on academic performance is underdeveloped in resource-limited countries. This study replicates and expands on earlier research that investigated a complex network of relationships between academic self-efficacy, educational aspirations, and academic performance. Methods: Data from 4282 adolescents in Ghana and path analysis were used to test the causal pathways, and path invariance analysis was used to assess the moderation role of gender. Instrumental variable techniques were used to validate the path models. Results: Increase in academic self-efficacy indirectly accounts for improvement in academic performance through the mediational role of educational aspirations. The effects of self-efficacy on educational aspirations, and educational aspirations were stronger for boys than for girls. Conclusions: These findings suggest that in resource-limited countries where the financial burden of schooling tends to be a demotivating factor, interventions that target adolescents' academic self-efficacy may be an effective means to boost educational aspirations and academic performance. Interventions should be tailored to meet the needs of all students so that all children can think of school as an important part of their lives and aspire to achieve, now and in the future.Students' academic performance is an important determinant of their educational success and progression. Students with low grades are more likely to drop out of school (Gyan, Mabefam, & Baffoe, 2014; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2016). Conversely, students with high grades are more likely to progress to higher levels of education, thereby increasing their prospects for a meaningful livelihood. What influences academic performance? Across the globe, research indicates that multiple factors affect academic performance (

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Self-efficacy is a universal construct, but few validated measures exist for researchers in developing countries to use in assessing youths' perceptions of their ability to achieve academic success. This study examined the cross-cultural suitability and psychometric properties of an academic selfefficacy scale (ASES) adapted for the Ghanaian context. ASES construct validity was assessed with a sample of 4,289 Ghanaian junior high-school students and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance testing assessed the scale's measurement equivalence by gender and temporal stability of gender equivalence. The ASES is a valid, reliable one-dimensional scale for assessing young Ghanaians' perceptions of their academic capabilities, and it works equally well across genders. As adapted, ASES is a valid scale with utility for researchers examining predictors and effects of academic self-efficacy. The ASES has important implications for decisions regarding investment in programs aimed at improving academic self-efficacy of youth, both in sub-Saharan

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