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Self-efficacy and academic performance in economics in the junior college
Author
Marhaini Mohamed Amil
Supervisor
Smith, Ian David
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance in Economics among junior students. Self-efficacy is the belief one's capabilities in performing a specific task. According to the theory of self-efficacy, the relationship between self-efficacy and self-regulated learning is a positive one, but the relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety is a negative one. Highly self-regulated learners generally have high self-efficacy which causes them to have low test anxiety, and hence are usually high academic performers.
185 second year junior college (Grade 12) students from a middle-ranking junior college took part in a survey on their self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and test anxiety, Chye, Walker and Smith's (1997) Learning Survey for Secondary Schools was used to measure the students' self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies, such as cognitive, metacognitive and resource management strategies. The worry sub-scale of Spielberger's (1980) test Anxiety Inventory was used to measure the students' test anxiety level. Interviews were conducted on ten of the students who took part in the survey with the aim of complementing the finding of the survey.
This study found that junior college students had average self-efficacy and test anxiety. They were typically high self-regulated learners, especially in the use of cognitive and resource management strategies. The students were average in their use of metacognitive strategies.
This study also found that there were significant positive relationships between self-efficacy and self-regulated learning and between self-efficacy and academic performance in Economics. There were negative relationships between self-efficacy and test anxiety and between test anxiety and academic performance. However, this study found no significant relationship between self-regulated learning and test anxiety.
This study also revealed that female students had lower self-efficacy and academic performance than the male students and that their test anxiety was higher than their male counterparts. There was no gender differences in the use of self-regulated learning strategies.
There were no differences in self-efficacy and the three self-regulated learning strategies used by Economics students in the three courses of study, the Arts, Science and Commerce courses. Paired comparison tests reported that there was a difference in the level of test anxiety between Arts and Science students, but not between Commerce and Science students and between Commerce and Arts students. These tests also reported that Science students generally performed better in Economics than the Arts and Commerce students, and that the Commerce students generally performed better than the Arts students in the subject.
185 second year junior college (Grade 12) students from a middle-ranking junior college took part in a survey on their self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and test anxiety, Chye, Walker and Smith's (1997) Learning Survey for Secondary Schools was used to measure the students' self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies, such as cognitive, metacognitive and resource management strategies. The worry sub-scale of Spielberger's (1980) test Anxiety Inventory was used to measure the students' test anxiety level. Interviews were conducted on ten of the students who took part in the survey with the aim of complementing the finding of the survey.
This study found that junior college students had average self-efficacy and test anxiety. They were typically high self-regulated learners, especially in the use of cognitive and resource management strategies. The students were average in their use of metacognitive strategies.
This study also found that there were significant positive relationships between self-efficacy and self-regulated learning and between self-efficacy and academic performance in Economics. There were negative relationships between self-efficacy and test anxiety and between test anxiety and academic performance. However, this study found no significant relationship between self-regulated learning and test anxiety.
This study also revealed that female students had lower self-efficacy and academic performance than the male students and that their test anxiety was higher than their male counterparts. There was no gender differences in the use of self-regulated learning strategies.
There were no differences in self-efficacy and the three self-regulated learning strategies used by Economics students in the three courses of study, the Arts, Science and Commerce courses. Paired comparison tests reported that there was a difference in the level of test anxiety between Arts and Science students, but not between Commerce and Science students and between Commerce and Arts students. These tests also reported that Science students generally performed better in Economics than the Arts and Commerce students, and that the Commerce students generally performed better than the Arts students in the subject.
Date Issued
2000
Call Number
HB74.9.S5 Mar
Date Submitted
2000