Multifaceted Impact of Self-Efficacy Beliefs on Academic Functioning

Abstract

This research analyzed the network of psychosocial influences through which efficacy beliefs affect academic achievement. Parents' sense of academic efficacy and aspirations for their children were linked to their children's scholastic achievement through their perceived academic capabilities and aspirations. Children's beliefs in their efficacy to regulate their own learning and academic attainments, in turn, contributed to scholastic achievement both independently and by promoting high academic aspirations and prosocial behavior and reducing vulnerability to feelings of futility and depression. Children's perceived social efficacy and efficacy to manage peer pressure for detrimental conduct also contributed to academic attainments but through partially different paths of affective and self-regulatory influence. The impact of perceived social efficacy was mediated through academic aspirations and a low level of depression. Perceived self-regulatory efficacy was related to academic achievement both directly and through adherence to moral self-sanctions for detrimental conduct and problem behavior that can subvert academic pursuits. Familial socioeconomic status was linked to children's academic achievement only indirectly through its effects on parental aspirations and children's prosocialness. The full set of self-efficacy, aspirational, and psychosocial factors accounted for a sizable share of the variance in academic achievement.

Classroom Social Experiences as Predictors of Academic Performance.

“…Free from psychological distress, a child can maintain focus and concentrate on school-related tasks and challenges. Reduced vulnerability to depression in children contributes to their scholastic achievement (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 1996;Dweck, 1986).…”

Neighborhood Environment and Urban African American Marijuana Use during High School

“…27 Social learning theory suggests that youth can learn about drugs and substance use by seeing substance use and drug selling in their immediate social environments. 28 In addition to providing more opportunities for experimentation, increased exposure to drug use may weaken beliefs about the potential harm of drug use and strengthen positive expectancies of use.…”

Self-efficacy enhanced in a cross-cultural context through an initiative in under-resourced schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

“…If the attribution of efficacy is to external factors, such as training, and small classes, over which they have no control, they will be less likely to be motivated to embrace change. Consistent with self-efficacy theory (Bandura 2001(Bandura , 2002Bandura et al 1996), such teachers do not believe they can meet the learning needs of the learners in their classes. "Social cognitive theory distinguishes among three modes of agency: direct personal agency; proxy agency that relies on others to act on one's behest to secure desired outcomes; and collective agency exercised through group action" (Bandura 2002, 269).…”