Higher Self-efficacy Research Articles

Iterative Development of an Interactive Website to Support Shared Decision-Making in Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Recent treatment advances have resulted in significantly increased survival times following metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis. Novel treatment approaches-and their related side effects-have changed the landscape of MBC treatment decision-making. We developed a prototype of an online educational tool to prepare patients with MBC for shared decision-making with their oncologists. We describe the five phases of tool development: (1) in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews and (2) feedback on storyboards of initial content with patients with MBC and oncology providers. This was followed by three phases of iterative feedback with patients in which they responded to (3) initial, non-navigable website content and (4) a beta version of the full website. In the final phase (5), patients newly diagnosed with MBC (N = 6) used the website prototype for 1week and completed surveys assessing acceptability, feasibility, treatment knowledge, preparation for decision-making, and self-efficacy for decision-making. Participants in Phase 1 characterized a cyclical process of MBC treatment decision-making and identified key information needs. Website content and structure was iteratively developed in Phases 2-4. Most participants in Phase 5 (n = 4) accessed the website 2-5 times. All participants who accessed the website at least once (n = 5) felt they learned new information from the website prototype and would recommend it to others newly-diagnosed with MBC. After using the website prototype, participants reported high preparation and self-efficacy for decision-making. This multiphase, iterative process resulted in a prototype intervention designed to support decision-making for MBC patients.

A Concurrent Analysis of Drug Relapse Risk, Drug Avoidance Self-Efficacy, and Aftercare Experiences among Aftercare Program Clients

The cases of drug use and abuse have predominantly increased globally. This issue has become the most significant challenge among mental health professionals, the national government, and the general population. With the absence of substantial research about drug relapse and avoidance in the Philippines, this mixed-method research seeks to find out the relationship between drug relapse risk and drug avoidance self-efficacy among substance users who participated in the aftercare program. This study employed a concurrent mixed method design, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative phase, the Advance Warning of Relapse (AWARE) Questionnaire and Drug Avoidance Self-Efficacy Scale (DASES) were administered to 66 participants from the Aftercare Program (ACP) at the Department of Health Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Eastern Visayas. The aim was to establish a correlation between the risk of drug relapse and drug avoidance self-efficacy. In the qualitative phase, interviews were conducted with five participants who met the study's inclusion criteria. Purposive sampling was used to select these participants. Quantitative findings revealed that ACP clients had low drug relapse risk and high drug avoidance self-efficacy. Moreover, Pearson product-moment correlation shows an inverse relationship between lower drug relapse risk and high drug avoidance self-efficacy, and vice-versa. However, the correlation between these variables is weak, indicating that drug avoidance self-efficacy is not a strong predictor of relapse risk in aftercare program clients. Similarly, qualitative results exposed the client’s experiences in the After Care Program. Six themes emerge from their experiences, such as their various reasons for taking the drugs, the effects of substance use, their effective coping mechanisms, the treatment of their communities, their accomplishment of recovery goals, and overcoming challenges in their recovery. The study suggests that individuals who participate in the aftercare programs are trying their best to recover and increase their self-efficacy to avoid using drugs. This strong self-efficacy, in combination with various factors such as family support, the acceptance of the community, and continued reminders of the consequences of substance abuse, decreased their vulnerability to use drugs in high-risk situations. The findings will increase the awareness of Filipinos in the prevention and treatment of substance use among their loved ones, relatives, and friends. Likewise, the findings recommend improving the aftercare program to increase its effectiveness and efficiency in preventing relapse among individuals in recovery.

Living with diabetes in Northeast India: An exploration of psychosocial factors in management

PurposeIndia is the ‘Diabetes Capital of the World’ and accounts for one in seven adults living with diabetes worldwide. Psychosocial, economic, and cultural correlates of disease have important implications for disease management but are rarely explored in India. The purpose of this study is to address psychosocial and cultural factors in diabetes management in the northeastern region of India which has a high disease burden. MethodsThis study attempts to explore the psychosocial and lived experience of diabetes in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. The sample was selected from individuals attending an outpatient facility of a multi-speciality clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 individuals (13 women and 12 men), above the age of 40 years, who had been diagnosed with diabetes for at least 6 months. The narratives were analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsUsing the social cognitive framework, themes were organized in terms of a thematic map linking knowledge of diabetes to the perception of diabetes as ‘a silent killer’, to coping, leading to self-efficacy. However high self-efficacy, over time, may lead to complacency, disrupting health behaviours and requiring re-establishment of those behaviours. Adequate knowledge along with cognitive adaptation and self-efficacy were important constructs that contributed to behaviour change and maintenance. Elements of the cultural context were observed in the spiritual aspects of adaptation, the socially isolating consequences of diabetes, as well as gender differences in social support and management. ConclusionUnderstanding the lived experiences of patients contributes to planning more effective interventions keeping the social and cultural context in mind for more effective management of diabetes. Additionally, acknowledging and supporting women's needs in diabetes management is called for.

Decisional Conflict Among Patients Newly Diagnosed With Clinical T1 Renal Masses: A Prospective Study.

Because multiple management options exist for clinical T1 renal masses, patients may experience a state of uncertainty about the course of action to pursue (ie, decisional conflict). To better support patients, we examined patient, clinical, and decision-making factors associated with decisional conflict among patients newly diagnosed with clinical T1 renal masses suspicious for kidney cancer. From a prospective clinical trial, participants completed the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), scored 0 to 100 with < 25 associated with implementing decisions, at 2 time points during the initial decision-making period. The trial further characterized patient demographics, health status, tumor burden, and patient-centered communication, while a subcohort completed additional questionnaires on decision-making. Associations of patient, clinical, and decision-making factors with DCS scores were evaluated using generalized estimating equations to account for repeated measures per patient. Of 274 enrollees, 250 completed a DCS survey; 74% had masses ≤ 4 cm in size, while 11% had high-complexity tumors. Model-based estimated mean DCS score across both time points was 17.6 (95% CI 16.0-19.3), though 50% reported a DCS score ≥ 25 at least once. On multivariable analysis, DCS scores increased with age (+2.64, 95% CI 1.04-4.23), high- vs low-complexity tumors (+6.50, 95% CI 0.35-12.65), and cystic vs solid masses (+9.78, 95% CI 5.27-14.28). Among decision-making factors, DCS scores decreased with higher self-efficacy (-3.31, 95% CI -5.77 to -0.86]) and information-seeking behavior (-4.44, 95% CI -7.32 to -1.56). DCS scores decreased with higher patient-centered communication scores (-8.89, 95% CI -11.85 to -5.94). In addition to patient and clinical factors, decision-making factors and patient-centered communication relate with decisional conflict, highlighting potential avenues to better support patient decision-making for clinical T1 renal masses.

Factors Causing Delays for Higher Education Students in Completing Final Undergraduate Assignments

Procrastination often occurs among students in higher education. Facts in higher education in 2018 from 27 students were found, and 22.22% of students had not attended a proposal seminar and had not completed a final assignment or thesis, 40.74% of students had attended a proposal seminar but had not completed a final assignment or thesis, and 37, 03% of students have attended proposal seminars and have completed their final assignments or theses. This is an urgent matter to research because there is a gap between theory, expectations, and reality in the field. The research aims to find out what factors cause procrastination, which causes students to be late in completing their thesis in higher education. The research method is descriptive qualitative. The subject and object are higher education, totaling 34 students. Data collection techniques using questionnaires, interviews, and direct observation of students. Analysis techniques by collecting data, reducing and drawing conclusions. Data is depicted in diagrams, and the results of interviews and observations are interpreted. As a result, it was found that students working on their thesis encountered many obstacles due to internal factors, namely self-control, self-efficacy, and motivation. In the process of completing the final assignment or thesis, students must learn to motivate themselves, control themselves, and develop high self-efficacy so that students can focus more on completing their thesis.

Self-efficacy, Effort, and Performance Perceptions Enhance Psychological Responses to Strength Training in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes.

Biscardi, LM, Miller, AD, Andre, MJ, and Stroiney, DA. Self-efficacy, effort, and performance perceptions enhance psychological responses to strength training in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes. J Strength Cond Res 38(5): 898-905, 2024-This study examined the effect of self-efficacy, effort, and perceived performance on positive well-being (PWB) and psychological distress (PD) following high-intensity resistance training sessions in collegiate student-athletes. An observational field study design was used to collect data before and after resistance training sessions in a 4-week preseason strength training block. A multilevel model assessed day-level and person-level variance in acute PWB and PD. Interaction terms were also tested at the day level. Alpha was set at 0.05. Within a 4-week training block, training session intensity did not predict changes in acute psychological responses. After controlling for an athlete's preexercise psychological state, higher self-efficacy, daily effort, and perceived performance predicted higher PWB and lower PD following training (p < 0.05). Self-efficacy moderated the relationships of daily effort and performance with PD (p < 0.05). When athletes experienced lower self-efficacy, producing a higher effort and perceiving better performance reduced the negative psychological response. These findings highlight the important mediating role of cognitive variables in the acute psychological response to high-intensity resistance training. Coaches should identify and mitigate low cognitive states to facilitate a positive psychological response to resistance training. This strategy promotes a positive psychological response without altering training prescription.

Are Irish Athletic Therapy Students Confident in Concussion Assessment and Management? A Cross-Sectional Study of Final Year Students’ Self-Efficacy

Concussion is one of the most challenging injuries for sports medicine clinicians. It is crucial that students develop high self-efficacy for concussion-relevant skills during professional education, as it impacts the quality of their patient care. This study aimed to explore Irish final year athletic therapy students’ self-efficacy in concussion assessment and management and the factors that impact its development. Participants’ level of self-efficacy varied, from low to high, depending on the skill assessed. Lack of practice and lecturer’s positive feedback impacted student self-efficacy the most. Educators should provide students with an opportunity to practice their skills in an environment that facilitates feedback.

청년 조리사의 지각된 근무환경이 자기효능감, 이직의도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to uncover the turnover intention of MZ generation cooks, that is, young cooks, and to find out the factors that can lower it. Therefore, to find out the effect of the work environment perceived by young cooks on self-efficacy and turnover intention. An empirical analysis was conducted targeting cooks aged 19 to 34 working in the restaurant industry in Korea. The results of the analysis showed that work environment affects self-efficacy and that high self-efficacy lowers turnover intention. The better the facility environment and welfare environment, the lower the intention to change jobs. Therefore, in order to lower the turnover cost of young cooks, self-efficacy must be increased by investing in the facility environment among the working environment, and factors related to the welfare environment will also be improved to reduce the turnover of young cooks, thereby reducing turnover costs and new recruitment costs.

Comparison of self-efficacy among graduate teaching assistants before and after training

BackgroundTeaching assistants (TAs) play a crucial role in pedagogical practices, and the TA training has emerged as a vital strategy for enhancing teaching quality and fostering effective interactions. The self-efficacy of TAs can substantially impact their performance. Nevertheless, little research has focused on the change in TAs’ self-efficacy following their training.MethodsA self-control quasi-experiment was conducted to examine shifts in the self-efficacy of Tas at Peking University before and after their TA training. A questionnaire was used to assess the change, and the reliability and validity of the questionnaire was also calculated. A paired data rank sum test was used to analysis the changes in TA self-efficacy before and after training.ResultsA total of 372 TAs from School of Basic Medicine (N = 173), School of Pharmacy (N = 112), School of Public Health (N = 69), and other schools (N = 18) submitted complete questionnaires. The questionnaire showed a good performance in internal reliability and validity test (Cronbach’s alpha index = 0.906, and KMO value was 0.903). Participants had a median total self-efficacy score of 88 and 85 before and after the TA training, respectively, which shows a lack in the total TA self-efficacy score following the TA training (P < 0.001). TAs who have no desire to becoming a college instructor have a higher self-efficacy when compared to TAs who have expressed neutral attitudes in becoming college instructors.ConclusionThe participated TAs display a lack of self-efficacy after attending the TA training at Peking University. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and strengthen TA’s self-efficacy beyond academic skills when designing and delivering TA training programs at Peking University.

Prevalence, treatment and correlates of depression in multiple sclerosis

BackgroundThe prevalence of depression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is often assessed by administering patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) examining depressive symptomatology to population cohorts; a recent review summarised 12 such studies, eight of which used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D). In clinical practice, depression is diagnosed by an individual structured clinical interview; diagnosis often leads to treatment options including antidepressant medication. It follows that an MS population will include those whose current depressive symptoms meet threshold for depression diagnosis, plus those who previously met diagnostic criteria for depression and have been treated such that depressive symptoms have improved below that threshold. We examined a large MS population to establish a multi-attribute estimate of depression, taking into account probable depression on HADS-D, as well as anti-depressant medication use and co-morbidity data reporting current treatment for depression. We then studied associations with demographic and health status measures and the trajectories of depressive symptoms over time. MethodsParticipants were recruited into the UK-wide Trajectories of Outcome in Neurological Conditions-MS (TONiC-MS) study, with demographic and disease data from clinical records, PROMs collected at intervals of at least 9 months, as well as co-morbidities and medication. Interval level conversions of PROM data followed Rasch analysis. Logistic regression examined associations of demographic characteristics and symptoms with depression. Finally, a group-based trajectory model was applied to those with depression. ResultsBaseline data in 5633 participants showed the prevalence of depression to be 25.3 % (CI: 24.2–26.5). There were significant differences in prevalence by MS subtype: relapsing 23.2 % (CI: 21.8- 24.5), primary progressive 25.8 % (CI: 22.5–29.3), secondary progressive 31.5 % (CI: 29.0–34.0); disability: EDSS 0–4 19.2 % (CI: 17.8–20.6), EDSS ≥4.5 31.9 % (CI: 30.2–33.6); and age: 42–57 years 27.7 % (CI: 26.0–29.3), above or below this range 23.1 % (CI: 21.6–24.7). Fatigue, disability, self-efficacy and self esteem correlated with depression with a large effect size (>0.8) whereas sleep, spasticity pain, vision and bladder had an effect size >0.5. The logistic regression model (N = 4938) correctly classified 80 % with 93 % specificity: risk of depression was increased with disability, fatigue, anxiety, more comorbidities or current smoking. Higher self-efficacy or self esteem and marriage reduced depression. Trajectory analysis of depressive symptoms over 40 months in those with depression (N = 1096) showed three groups: 19.1 % with low symptoms, 49.2 % with greater symptoms between the threshold of possible and probable depression, and 31.7 % with high depressive symptoms. 29.9 % (CI: 27.6–32.3) of depressed subjects were untreated, conversely of those treated, 26.1 % still had a symptom level consistent with a probable case (CI: 23.5–28.9). ConclusionA multi-attribute estimate of depression in MS is essential because using only screening questionnaires, diagnoses or antidepressant medication all under-estimate the true prevalence.Depression affects 25.3 % of those with MS, almost half of those with depression were either untreated or still had symptoms indicating probable depression despite treatment. Services for depression in MS must be pro-active and flexible, recognising the heterogeneity of outcomes and reaching out to those with ongoing symptoms.

Job Loss Due to COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study of Mental Health, Protective and Risk Factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on unemployment, which-compounded by the additional stressors associated with the pandemic-had considerable mental health impact. The current study examined the trajectory of mental health amongst those experiencing pandemic-related job loss, alongside the impact of risk and protective factors. Data were obtained from 374 Australian participants who were allocated to a waitlist control arm of a randomised control trial. The outcome variables assessed at baseline and six-month follow-up consisted of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. The assessed risk and protective factors were age, gender, relationship status, education, exercise frequency, COVID-related stress, dispositional resilience, and coping self-efficacy. Re-employment by follow-up was used as a covariate. Overall, there were decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms, and partial evidence of decreased suicidality, demonstrating an apparent capacity for individuals to better cope with their circumstances over time. Demographics and exercise had no effect on changes in mental health. Those with high COVID-related stress, low resilience, and low coping self-efficacy had worse mental health at baseline, although exhibited significantly greater improvements in mental health over time. Obtaining re-employment by follow-up did not predict changes in mental health. The present results offer an optimistic picture of recovery for those experiencing pandemic-related job loss, even for those with the most substantial risk and severity. The likely protective role played by Australian social welfare policies over the course of the study is explored. Stress around one's broader sociocultural or economic circumstances, perceived resilience, and coping self-efficacy are valuable targets for intervention.

A Call for Youth Voice to Support Engagement in Care for 18- to 29-Year Olds Living with HIV in the US South.

Youth with HIV (YWH) face challenges in achieving viral suppression, particularly in the Southern United States, and welcome novel interventions responsive to community needs. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) describes factors that influence behavior change, and the Positive Youth Development (PYD) supports youth-focused program design. We applied TPB and PYD to explore factors supporting care engagement and challenges for YWH in South Texas. We conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with YWH and 7 focus groups with 26 stakeholders informed by TPB, PYD, and themes from a youth advisory board (YAB). The research team and YAB reviewed emerging themes, and feedback-aided iterative revision of interview guides and codebook. Thematic analysis compared code families by respondent type, TPB, and PYD. All study methods were reviewed by the UT Health San Antonio and University Health Institutional Review Boards. Emerging themes associated with care engagement included: varied reactions to HIV diagnosis from acceptance to fear/grief; financial, insurance, and mental health challenges; history of trauma; high self-efficacy; desire for independence; and desire for engagement with clinic staff from their age group. Stakeholders perceived YWH lifestyle, including partying and substance use, as care barriers. In contrast, YWH viewed "partying" as an unwelcome stereotype, and barriers to care included multiple jobs and family responsibilities. Two key themes captured in PYD but not in TPB were the importance of youth voice in program design and structural barriers to care (e.g., insurance, transportation). Based on these findings, we provide critical and relevant guidance for those seeking to design more effective youth-centered HIV care engagement interventions. By considering the perspectives of YWH in program design and incorporating the PYD framework, stakeholders can better align with YWHs' desire for representation and agency. Our findings provide important and relevant guidance for those seeking to design more effective HIV care engagement interventions for YWH.

Changes in Undergraduate Students’ Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy in an Introductory Statistics Course

The exploration of psychological variables that potentially impact college student performance in challenging academic courses can be useful for understanding success in introductory statistics. Although previous research has examined specific beliefs that students hold about their abilities and future outcomes, the current study is novel in its examination of changes in both self-efficacy (SE) and outcome expectancy (OE) in relation to performance over the course of an undergraduate introductory psychology statistics course. These psychological variables—relating to one’s belief about one’s ability to accomplish a task and the anticipated outcomes—may impact student motivation and performance. Students’ SE, OE, and other variables related to statistics performance were measured through a survey administered at the beginning and end of the course. Multivariate logistic regression and McNemar tests were conducted to examine factors that affected changes in SE and OE as the semester progressed. Students with lower scores on the final exam demonstrated a decrease in both high SE and positive OE. However, higher scores on exams earlier in the course were associated with increased odds for high SE but not for positive OE, suggesting that SE is less resilient to course performance. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that statistics instructors identify students at risk for decreasing SE. Instructors can help foster high SE in students struggling academically by connecting the course content to their everyday lives and suggesting strategies to enhance their confidence in their content knowledge and increase their comfort in navigating such a challenging course.

Professionality Model for Vocational Teachers: Based on the Example of Estonian Vocational Teachers in the Changing VET Context

Vocational teachers (VTs) have been seen as the key individuals executing changes, solving problems and achieving goals in vocational education and training (VET). Therefore, the work of VTs is fragmented between different types of tasks which influence their professionalism and professionality (individual views, experiences and professional practices of teachers). Despite this, their professionality has been studied remarkably little, and previous studies have focused on different narrow aspects of professionalism. However, it is not clear how various factors, including changes in VET, can shape VTs’ perception of their professionality. Based on a meta-analysis, this study aims to create comprehensive knowledge through an empirical model of vocational teacher professionality in the context of VET changes based on the example of Estonian VET. The results show that VTs have expressed different perceptions, evaluations and experiences of change in VET, and therefore different forms of collaboration and learning activities have been used to adapt to changes, which together shape the professionality of VTs. Therefore, three profiles of VT professionality have emerged and the wider scope of the collaboration of VTs fosters more positive attitudes, satisfaction and commitment to their work and profession, while also relating to their higher self-efficacy, which supports coping in demanding pedagogical situations and when faced with new tasks and roles in a changing context.

Fitting in or standing out? The organisational socialisation of early career physical education specialism graduates through a micropolitical lens

The recent emergence of primary school generalist teachers with physical education (PE) expertise has addressed calls for some form of specialisation in primary PE provision in Ireland ( Marron et al., 2018 ). It was hoped that these teachers could advance the quality of PE taught within schools, through their own teaching and by supporting colleagues ( Ní Chróinín, 2018 ). Despite PE specialism graduates (PESGs) developing teaching orientations and high self-efficacy to teach PE during their professional socialisation, it is unclear how their skills are applied within schools. This study examined the organisational socialisation of PESGs through a micropolitical lens, drawing on the research of Kelchtermans and Ballet (2002a , 2002b ). Adopting a critical realist approach enabled us to explore teachers’ complex teaching realities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 graduates of the four-year Bachelor of Education with a major specialism in PE. Reflexive thematic analysis of interview data identified that PESGs had limited opportunities to apply their PE skills due to the conflicting custodial orientations of their schools. Due to PESGs’ professional interests, they were more likely to assimilate with the existing school culture as early career teachers, even if it overlooked their PE expertise. The outsourcing of PE provision to external coaches, and PESGs’ identity as novice teachers, also undermined their potential contribution as PE experts. Although some PESGs have positively used their knowledge to direct whole-school PE provision, more structured opportunities may be necessary to support the continued development of PESGs as teachers and leaders of PE.

Enhancing Academic Success among STEM Undergraduate Students.

We synthesize 20+ findings regarding STEM success and the measure of such with the aim of increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation of high-achieving, low-income undergraduate students. Students are more likely to enter and graduate from a STEM field when they have high self-efficacy, a sense of belonging, and identify themselves as scientists. We discuss methods of fostering these attributes such as providing undergraduate research opportunities, field trips, and summer bridge programs as well as some in-class methods including sending effort-oriented messages and connecting content to real-life.

Self-efficacy of Data Literacy among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Guangdong Province

The application of educational big data provides new basis for teachers to improve teaching and promote student development. However, there are still many challenges in using data to solve complex educational problems. Teacher data literacy has become the key to transforming educational data into effective teaching strategies. The study sought to gain a better understanding of the current state of primary and secondary school Teachers self-efficacy of data literacy and put forward some suggestions for teacher data literacy training. This study used a quantitative methodology. 813 primary and secondary school teachers from Guangdong Province, China, completed a questionnaire on self-efficacy of data literacy. (1) Primary and secondary school teachers reported significantly high levels of self-efficacy in data literacy (mean=3.624). Among the dimensions, the data awareness and ethics dimension had the highest self-efficacy (mean=3.738) and the data research dimension had a lower self-efficacy (mean=3.358). (2)There were significant differences in the primary and secondary school teachers’ self-efficacy of data literacy with different ages, educational backgrounds, and school locations. Primary and secondary school teachers generally recognized the importance of data literacy training. Older teachers who worked in rural schools and had low levels of education have the lowest level of self-efficacy for data literacy. For primary and secondary school teachers' low level of data analysis skills and weak data transformation strategy ability, teacher data literacy training adopts an embedded teamwork approach, integrating multiple resources to build a data team, integrating big data technology throughout the entire teaching process, and helping teachers to use new data and technologies to understand students' needs in a timely manner, to select teaching methods, and to solve real-world problems. It makes data literacy the foundation of teachers' teaching and promotes the development of all students.

Independent and joint effects of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy on math achievement in primary school student: Variable-oriented and person-oriented analyses

Limited research has explored how perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy jointly impact math achievement, as emphasized by social cognitive theory. This study uses both variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches to examine their joint and independent effects. Additionally, it investigates gender differences in math achievement and the moderating role of gender in the impact of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy. Chinese primary school students (n = 1725, Mage = 8.97, 41.62 % girls) in grades 3 and 4 participated. Results show: (1) T1 math self-efficacy positively predicts T2 math achievement in structural equation modeling, with perceived teacher support demonstrates a short-term predictive effect at T1. (2) Significant gender differences in T1 math achievement diminish over time. (3) Person-oriented analysis revealed both the independent and joint effects of perceived teacher support and math self-efficacy on math achievement. These findings offer insights into factors influencing math achievement and ways to enhance it. Educational relevance statementThe study reveals that perceived teacher support independently influences math achievement, suggesting the need for extra support for students with low perceived teacher support. Additionally, it emphasizes the compensatory effect of math self-efficacy, advising practitioners to maintain support for students with low math self-efficacy and high perceived teacher support, and to actively nurture math self-efficacy for those with high math self-efficacy and low perceived teacher support. The joint effect of math self-efficacy and perceived teacher support underscores the importance of tailored support to enhance both aspects. Finally, addressing gender differences, the study highlights the need to provide enhanced support for male students in educational practice.

Evaluating the Digital Health Experience for Patients in Primary Care: Mixed Methods Study.

The digital health divide for socioeconomic disadvantage describes a pattern in which patients considered socioeconomically disadvantaged, who are already marginalized through reduced access to face-to-face health care, are additionally hindered through less access to patient-initiated digital health. A comprehensive understanding of how patients with socioeconomic disadvantage access and experience digital health is essential for improving the digital health divide. Primary care patients, especially those with chronic disease, have experience of the stages of initial help seeking and self-management of their health, which renders them a key demographic for research on patient-initiated digital health access. This study aims to provide comprehensive primary mixed methods data on the patient experience of barriers to digital health access, with a focus on the digital health divide. We applied an exploratory mixed methods design to ensure that our survey was primarily shaped by the experiences of our interviewees. First, we qualitatively explored the experience of digital health for 19 patients with socioeconomic disadvantage and chronic disease and second, we quantitatively measured some of these findings by designing and administering a survey to 487 Australian general practice patients from 24 general practices. In our qualitative first phase, the key barriers found to accessing digital health included (1) strong patient preference for human-based health services; (2) low trust in digital health services; (3) high financial costs of necessary tools, maintenance, and repairs; (4) poor publicly available internet access options; (5) reduced capacity to engage due to increased life pressures; and (6) low self-efficacy and confidence in using digital health. In our quantitative second phase, 31% (151/487) of the survey participants were found to have never used a form of digital health, while 10.7% (52/487) were low- to medium-frequency users and 48.5% (236/487) were high-frequency users. High-frequency users were more likely to be interested in digital health and had higher self-efficacy. Low-frequency users were more likely to report difficulty affording the financial costs needed for digital access. While general digital interest, financial cost, and digital health literacy and empowerment are clear factors in digital health access in a broad primary care population, the digital health divide is also facilitated in part by a stepped series of complex and cumulative barriers. Genuinely improving digital health access for 1 cohort or even 1 person requires a series of multiple different interventions tailored to specific sequential barriers. Within primary care, patient-centered care that continues to recognize the complex individual needs of, and barriers facing, each patient should be part of addressing the digital health divide.

Effects of self-efficacy on frontal midline theta power and golf putting performance.

Self-efficacy (SE), defined as an individual's belief in their ability to complete a task, is linked to top-down attentional control, influencing motor performance in sports. Although the behavioral effects of SE are well-documented, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms through which SE affects sports performance. Our research aims to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie the impact of self-efficacy on sports performance. Specifically, we intend to explore the effects of low and high SE on frontal midline theta (Fmθ) activity, associated with sustained top-down attention, and on motor performance. We recruited thirty-four professional golfers to perform 60 putts, during which their electroencephalographic activity was monitored. SE levels were assessed using a visual analog scale from 0 to 10 before each putt, with scores categorized into higher or lower SE based on each golfer's individual average score. Paired t-tests indicated that trials with higher SE scores had a higher putting success rate than those with lower SE scores (53.3% vs. 46.7%). Furthermore, trials associated with higher SE scores exhibited lower Fmθ activity compared to those with lower SE scores (4.49 vs. 5.18). Our results suggest that higher SE is associated with reduced top-down attentional control, leading to improved putting performance. These findings support Bandura's theory of SE, which suggests that the effects of efficacy beliefs are mediated by cognitive, motivational, emotional, and decision-making processes. This study sheds light on the intermediate processes of SE by examining its impact on the anticipation of outcomes, sports performance, and attentional control prior to putting.