College Students’ Intent to Persist with Their Education: The Direct and Indirect Effects of Classroom Confirmation and Academic Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The current study explored the relationships between teacher and student-to-student confirmation, academic self-efficacy, and college students’ intention to persist with their education. A cross-sectional mediation analysis of 412 students indicates that confirmation from both teachers and students has a direct relationship to students’ intention to persist. Further, confirmation indirectly relates to intention to persist through academic self-efficacy. The strongest effects were observed for teacher confirmation, though student confirmation still yielded meaningful associations. Overall, the findings indicate that classroom-based interactions, while often overlooked as a potential intervention for persistence and retention, can have a meaningful relationship to students’ intention to persist.