Survey research and design in psychology/Assessment/Project/Lab report/Topics/Learning self-efficacy

Perceived self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in their own ability to perform a specific task or behaviour (Bandura, 1977). The degree of self-efficacy in a certain domain can effect how an individual performs a particular behaviour and their level of persistence when engaging in that behaviour (Bandura).

Individuals scoring higher on self-efficacy have reported higher levels of university satisfaction and satisfaction has been identified as having a greater effect on performance than performance on satisfaction (Bean & Bradley, 1986; De Witz & Walsh, 2002). Students with a strong sense of academic self-efficacy seem to self-regulate more productively, apply more effort, set higher goals, achieve better academic performances and cognitively process information more effectively.

As self-efficacy beliefs have been linked to expended effort and task persistence, university teaching staff, need to help students maintain high, accurate learning self efficacy beliefs. Providing accurate feedback and challenging achievable tasks are two ways to maintain high learning self efficacy (Schunk, 1991). Another implication is for student support services. Learning self efficacy could potentially be enhanced by providing workshops designed to teach specific study, time management and stress reduction strategies (Quimby & O’Brien, 2006).

References

• Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioural change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.
• Bean, J. P., & Bradley, R. K. (1986) Untangling the satisfaction-performance relationship for college students. Journal of Higher Education, 57, 393-412.
• De Witz, S. J. & Walsh, W. B (2002) Self-efficacy and college student satisfaction. Journal of Career Assessment, 10, 315-326.
• Lodewyk, K., & Winne, P. (2005). Relations among the structure of learning tasks, achievement, and changes in self efficacy in secondary students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 3-12.
• Pajares, F. (2002). Gendered and perceived self-efficacy in self-regulated learning. Theory Into Practice, 41, 116-126.
• Peschar, J. L., Veenstra, R., & Molenaar, I. W. (1999). Self-regulated learning as a cross-curricular competency: The construction of instruments in 22 countries for the PISA main study 2000: Synthesis report. Presented at the Network A Meeting, Echternach, Luxembourg, October. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
• Quimby, J. L., & O’Brien, K. M. (2006). Predictors of well-being among non-traditional female students with children. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 84, 451-460.
• Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 207-231.

See also

Search for Self-efficacy on Wikipedia.

• Study skills