Self Efficacy and Academic Achievement among High School Students

 

Dr. Neena Sawhney¹, Dr. Sneh Bansal²

¹Principal, Chandigarh College of Education Landran, Mohali Punjab

²Associate Professor, Chandigarh College of Education Landran, Mohali Punjab

 

ABSTRACT:

The purpose of the investigation was meant to study the relationship between self efficacy and academic achievement. The study comprised of 150 students from two unaided schools randomly selected from Chandigarh, UT. The tool used for the data collection was Self Efficacy questionnaire for children (SEQ-C) by Muris, P. (2001) which measured academic, social and emotional self efficacy. For academic achievement, data was collected from previous academic scores in class. The obtained data were analysed by using Pearson product moment correlation and by using ‘t’ test. The results revealed that there exists a significant positive relationship between self efficacy and academic achievement of 10^th grade Students of Chandigarh city. No significant differences were found between high and moderate level of academic achievement with respect to their Self- Efficacy in various areas i.e. academic, social and emotional. However, significant difference with respect to social and total efficacy have been found between the students with moderate and low level of academic achievement. In addition, significant differences were found between high and low level of academic achievement with respect to their self –efficacy in all the areas i.e. academic, social and emotional. On the basis of results, it has been concluded that the self-efficacy and its sub- skills components should be emphasized in education and explicitly taught to the students.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of Education, since ancient times, has been to bring people to the full realization of the potentiality in them. It aims to develop the intellect, to serve social needs, to contribute to the economy, to create an effective work force, to prepare students for a job or career, to promote a particular social or political system.

 

"Education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn on their own. . . " says renowned linguist, philosopher, historian, and scientist, Noam Chomsky.

 

To put it simply the basic purpose of education is help the children grow into productive citizens that use their knowledge, talents, and learned skills to sustain themselves and help others while pushing the human race forward in areas of equality, equity, and harmony.

 

The education system is thus geared to provide a curriculum that can build up the student’s abilities, capabilities, beliefs and values in order to help them realise their full potential. Self confidence and belief in own abilities is essential for a child’s smooth progression in school as well as life.

 

Albert Bandura defined Self-Efficacy as "Beliefs in one's capabilities to organise and execute the courses of action required to produce given achievements". He hypothesized that the level of self-efficacy can be used to determine whether a task will be initiated, the amount of effort that will be expended and the level of persistence to complete the task when face with obstacles and aversive experiences. Once a person has acquired a high level of self-efficacy belief, he will become motivated to invest more effort in his life.

 

Self-efficacy, trusting one’s abilities and powers for learning and performance, is a key trait for the academic success of university students (Hill, 2002). Gardner (1983) describes a self-efficacious individual as one who believes in “one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” McCombs & Marzano (1990) and Martinez-Pons (2002) classify self-efficacy into categories, one of which is academic self-efficacy and states that it reflects a student’s perceived capability with respect to the tasks a student is expected to perform in academic domain. Ollendick, Dailey, & Shapiro (1983) define self-regulation as the process to activate and sustain thoughts, behaviors and emotions in order to reach goals. When goals involve learning, self-regulation is converted to self-regulated learning. Self-regulated learners have a combination of academic learning skills and self-control that makes learning easier, so they are more motivated; in other words, they have the skill and the will to learn (Murphy & Alexander, 2000).

 

Self-efficacy predicts intellectual performance better than skills alone, and it directly influences academic performance through cognition. Self-efficacy also indirectly affects perseverance (Bandura, 1997 & Multon et al. (1991). Although past achievement raises self-efficacy, it is student interpretation of past successes and failures that may be responsible for subsequent success. Perceived self- efficacy predicts future achievement better than past performance.

 

De Fátima Goulão, M. (2014) examined the relationship between the academic self-efficacy of an adult learners group in an online learning context with their actual performance. An adapted questionnaire was used to measure self-efficacy (α=.908). The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to see the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. The analysis of the data indicated that students’ level of self-efficacy is high (average=45) and a significant relationship exists between self-efficacy and academic achievement (r=0.286, at 0.05 level).

 

Tenaw, Y. A. (2013) investigated the level of students’ self-efficacy, gender difference in self-efficacy and achievement and also relationships between self-efficacy and achievement for second year students in the fall of 2012 in Analytical Chemistry I (ACI) at Debre Markos College of Teacher Education (DMCTE). The self-efficacy survey and the ACI achievement test were completed by 100 students. The self-efficacy survey data were gathered by Likert scale questionnaire. By using inferential statistics (t-test), difference of self-efficacy and achievement in gender is calculated and by using Pearson correlation, the relationships between self-efficacy and achievement were investigated. The analysis of the data indicated that students’ level of self-efficacy is medium (50.08), and there is no significant difference in their self-efficacy between sexes (t (98) = 0.161, p> 0.1), but there is a statistically significant difference in achievement between sexes (t (98) = 0.68, p< 0.1) and also a significant relationship exists between self-efficacy and achievement (r=0.385, at 0.01 level with 98 degree of freedom).

 

Hwang, M. H., et al. (2016) examined the longitudinal causal relationship among Korean students’ past academic performance, self-efficacy beliefs, and academic achievement. The study used an autoregressive cross-lagged model to assess the casual ordering of self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement in a representative sample of 1177 Korean students over a five-year period from the 8 to 12th grades. Results indicated that the academic performance of students from the first semester of the 8th grade positively predicted self-efficacy beliefs for the second semester of the 8th grade and that self-efficacy beliefs from the second semester of the 8th grade positively predicted the academic achievement of students for the first semester of the 9th grade; this pattern evidenced through to the 12th grade. A reciprocal relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement was seen, such that the effect of past academic performance on self-efficacy beliefs was larger than the effect of self-efficacy beliefs on academic achievement.

 

Garba K, A., et. al. (2017) investigated relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement of students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Subjects were selected randomly and two-part questionnaire was used as data collection tool. People with higher self-efficacy have more optimal academic status compared to people with low self-efficacy and there is direct positive relationship between GPA and self-efficacy.

Hence, from the above literature it can be concluded that there exists a positive relationship between the self- efficacy and academic achievement.

 

OBJECTIVES:

1.     To study the relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement of high school students.

2.     To study the difference in the self -efficacy among the high, moderate and low level of academic achievement of high school students.

 

HYPOTHESES:

1.     There exists significant relationship between the self-efficacy and academic achievement of high school students.

2.     There exists significant difference in the self-efficacy due to high and moderate level of academic achievement.

3.     There exists significant difference in the self-efficacy due to moderate and low level of academic achievement.

4.     There exists significant difference in the self-efficacy due to high and low level of academic achievement.

 

Sample:

The study comprised of 150 students from two private unaided schools randomly selected from Chandigarh, UT studying in IX and X grade.

 

Tools Used

·       The tool used for the data collection was Self Efficacy questionnaire for children (SEQ-C) by Muris, P. (2001) comprises of 24 questions that include three 8 item scales that measure academic, social and emotional self-efficacy. The academic self-efficacy includes questions about the person’s perception of achieving academic goals. The social self-efficacy scale addresses social challenges and the emotional self-efficacy scale includes questions about coping with unpleasant problems or events. Reliability of the scale was calculated with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.90.

·       For academic achievement, data was collected from previous academic scores of the students in class.

 

Statistical Techniques Used:

·       Mean and Standard Deviation were worked out.

·       To find the differences in the high, moderate and low levels of academic achievement on self-efficacy, t-ratio was applied.

·       Pearson’s Product Moment Method of Correlation was used to find correlation between self-efficacy and academic achievement.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Table 1: Difference between high and moderate level of Academic Achievement in dimensions of Self-Efficacy

Dimensions of Self-Efficacy	Group	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	t- value
Academics	High	54	34.1667	4.57949	1.065
	Moderate	46	33.0652	5.75578
Social	High	54	31.1111	5.61221	.377
	Moderate	46	30.7174	4.67933
Emotional	High	54	28.0926	5.20982	.309
	Moderate	46	27.7391	6.24121
Total	High	54	93.3704	13.26265	.368
	Moderate	46	92.3696	13.89702

 

 

Table 2: Difference between Moderate and Low level of Academic Achievement in dimensions of Self-Efficacy

Dimensions of Self-Efficacy	Group	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	t- value
Academic	moderate	46	33.0652	5.75578	.799
	low	50	32.0200	6.93848
Social	moderate	46	30.7174	4.67933	2.555**
	low	50	28.1000	5.30402
Emotional	moderate	46	27.7391	6.24121	1.383
	low	50	26.0400	5.79923
Total	moderate	46	92.3696	13.89702	2.085**
	low	50	86.1600	15.17296

 

 

Table 3: Difference between High and Low level of Academic Achievement in dimensions of Self-Efficacy

Dimensions of Self-Efficacy	Group	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	t- value
Academic	high	54	34.1667	4.57949	1.875*
	low	50	32.0200	6.93848
Social	high	54	31.1111	5.61221	2.807**
	low	50	28.1000	5.30402
Emotional	high	54	28.0926	5.20982	1.901*
	low	50	26.0400	5.79923
Total	high	54	93.3704	13.26265	2.585**
	low	50	86.1600	15.17296

*Significant at .05 level

** Significant at .01 level

 

 

Table 1 shows the means, SDs and t value of high and moderate academic achievement group with respect to different dimensions of self-efficacy i.e. academics, social, emotional and total. Insignificant t values indicated that there exists no significant difference between high and moderate academic achievement of students with regard to various dimensions of self –Efficacy.

 

In Table 2, t value of moderate and low academic achievement of students with regard to social and total self-efficacy is significant at .01 levels. This reveals that there exists partial significant difference between moderate and low levels academic achievement of students with regard to Self–Efficacy. However, no significant difference was found between the moderate and low academic achievement of students with regards to academics and emotional self- efficacy.

 

In Table 3, the mean differences for high and low academic achievement group were found to be significant for all the dimensions of self-efficacy indicating that there exists significant differences in the self-efficacy of students with high and low level of academic achievement.

 

 

 

 

Table 4: Coefficient of Correlation

Variable	N	Pearson Correlation
Academic Achievement and Self -Efficacy	150	.238**

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level.

 

As evident in Table 4, there exists a positive correlation between the academic achievement and self -efficacy of the students. So, there exists significant relationship between academic achievement and self-efficacy.

 

Main findings of the Study:

·       The results revealed that there exists a significant positive relationship between Self-Efficacy and academic achievement of 10^th grade Students of Chandigarh City.

·        No significant differences were found between high and moderate level of academic achievement with respect to their Self- Efficacy in various areas i.e. academic, social and emotional.

·       However, significant difference with respect to social and total efficacy have been found between the students with moderate and low level of academic achievement.

·       In addition, significant differences were found between high and low level of academic achievement with respect to their Self–Efficacy in all the areas i.e. academic, social and emotional.

 

Educational Implications:

The Knowledge of the factor/factors which promote self-efficacy of the students is of great importance in developing curriculum and designing educational programmes on the part of educators. In order for students to maintain a high level of self-efficacy, they need to believe that they are equipped with the skills and talents for a specific task. So, to improve students’ academic achievement, the school system should implement lessons or programs that strengthen students’ confidence. Because high level students specialize in academics, they are then confident of their success in school related endeavours. As students learn to take responsibility for their education, they are more likely to exhibit a greater belief in their academic abilities. So, based on the findings of this research it is recommended that students’ should be exposed to different types of self-efficacy intervention programs so that cognitive, affective and social beliefs of students develop and they can really perform well and deal with all academic related task positively, which in turn improve academic achievement of students’ positively and vice-versa.

 

 

REFERENCES:

1.      Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.

2.      De Fátima Goulão, M. (2014). The relationship between Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Adults’ Learners. Athens Journal of Education, 1(3), 237-46.

3.      Garba Kolo, A., et. al. (2017). Relationship between Academic Self-efficacy Believed of College Students and Academic Performance. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 22, Issue 1, 75-80

4.      Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books

5.      Hill, W. (2002). Learning: a survey of psychological interpretations (7ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Judge, T., Jackson, C., Shaw, J., Scott, B., & Rich, B. (2007). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: the integral role of individual differences. Journal of applied psychology, 92, 107-127.

6.      Hwang, M. H., Choi, H. C., Lee, A., Culver, J. D., & Hutchison, B. (2016). The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement: A 5-Year Panel Analysis. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25(1), 89-98.

7.      Martinez-pons, M. (2002). A social cognitive view of parental influence on student academic self-regulation. Theory into practice, 61, 126-131.

8.      McCombs, B., & Marzano, R. (1990). Putting the self in self-regulated learning: the self as agent in integrating skill and will. Educational psychologist, 25, 51-70.

9.      Multon, K. D., Brown, S. D., & Lent, R. W. (1991). Relation of Self-Efficacy beliefs to Academic outcomes: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 30-38.

10.   Muris, P. (2001). A brief questionnaire for measuring Self-Efficacy in youths. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 23, 145-149.

11.   Murphy, P., & Alexander, P. (2000). A motivated Exploration of Motivation Terminalogy. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 3-53.

12.   Ollendick, T., Dailey, D., & Shapiro, E. (1983). Vicarious reinforcement: expected and unexpected effects. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 16, 483-491.

13.   Tenaw, Y. A. (2013). Relationship between Self-Efficacy, Academic Achievement and Gender in Analytical Chemistry at Debre Markos College of Teacher Education. African Journal of Chemical Education, 3(1), 3-28.

 

 

 

Received on 12.12.2017         Modified on 21.02.2018

Accepted on 04.04.2018      ©AandV Publications All right reserved