Research Self-efficacy Beliefs Research Articles

EFFECTS OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE RESEARCH SELF-EFFICACY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENT TEACHERS

This study explored whether the incorporation of specific research activities into the syllabus could develop the research self-efficacy of a group of English language student teachers in Vietnam who belong to a demographic group currently underrepresented in self-efficacy literature. It also attempted to understand the perceived effects of the intervention on students’ research self-efficacy. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design and a mixed-methods methodology. Pre- and post-questionnaires along with weekly reflective journal entries were used as data tools. Results indicate that due to their involvement in the intervention, the students in the experimental group displayed a stronger sense of research self-efficacy compared to those in the control group. The students in the experimental group gradually developed their self-efficacy owing to a growth in research knowledge and skills and a therapeutic research-training environment. The findings of the study are informative to the design, refinement, and optimization of future interventions that facilitate the effects of research experiences, knowledge, and skills on undergraduates’ research self-efficacy beliefs.

The importance of motivation in selecting undergraduate medical students for extracurricular research programmes.

Extracurricular research programmes (ERPs) may contribute to reducing the current shortage in physician-scientists, but usually select students based on grades only. The question arises if students should be selected based on their motivation, regardless of their previous academic performance. Focusing on grades and lacking to take motivation into account when selecting students for ERPs might exclude an important target group when aiming to cultivate future physician-scientists. Therefore, this study compared ERP students with lower and higher previous academic performance on subsequent academic performance, ERP performance, and motivational factors. Prospective cohort study with undergraduate medical students who filled in a yearly questionnaire on motivational factors. Two student groups participating in an ERP were compared: students with first-year grade point average (GPA) ≥7 versus <7 on a 10-point grading scale. Linear and logistic regressions analyses were used to compare groups on subsequent academic performance (i.e. third-year GPA, in-time bachelor completion), ERP performance (i.e. drop-out, number of credits), and motivational factors (i.e. intrinsic motivation for research, research self-efficacy beliefs, perceptions of research, curiosity), while adjusting for gender and motivational factors at baseline. The <7 group had significantly lower third-year GPA, and significantly higher odds for ERP drop-out than the ≥7 group. However, there was no significant between-group difference on in-time bachelor completion and the <7 group was not inferior to the ≥7 group in terms of intrinsic motivation for research, perceptions of research, and curiosity. Since intrinsic motivation for research, perceptions of research, and curiosity are prerequisites of future research involvement, it seems beneficial to focus on motivation when selecting students for ERPS, allowing students with lower current academic performance to participate in ERPs as well.

First steps in the physician-scientist pipeline: a longitudinal study to examine the effects of an undergraduate extracurricular research programme

ObjectivesMedicine is facing a physician-scientist shortage. By offering extracurricular research programmes (ERPs), the physician-scientist training pipeline could already start in undergraduate phases of medical training. However, previous studies into the...

Characterizing the psychosocial effects of participating in a year-long residential research-oriented learning community

Research on learning communities has primarily focused on identifying institutional outcomes such as student achievement and retention. However, more research is needed on how the learning community experience impacts the motivation, beliefs, and perceptions associated with student success. This study investigates the psychosocial effects of participating in a residential research-oriented learning community regarding students’ interest and motivation in pursuing research-oriented careers, research and data self-efficacy beliefs, sense of belongingness with the learning community, and socialization levels and career awareness in research-oriented fields. This study also investigated the mediating effects of students’ initial research self-efficacy beliefs on differential gains regarding career awareness, motivation and interest, and sense of belongingness and socialization after one year of participating in a residential research-oriented learning community. Participants of the study consisted of five cohorts of the learning community, each composed of twenty students. Students in each cohort participated in a pretest-posttest design survey study. Findings suggest that alignment of student interest with the learning community discipline is a key mediator of student growth in their self-efficacy beliefs, sense of belongingness with the learning community and levels of socialization, and career awareness in the selected field. Implications include recommendations for the thoughtful design of learning communities that promote cognitive apprenticeships by orchestrating the content, method, sequencing, and sociology of the learning environment.

Academic Success Experiences: Promoting Research Motivation andSelf-Efficacy Beliefs among Medical Students

Theory Medicine is facing a physician-scientist shortage. Medical training could contribute to developing physician-scientists by stimulating student research involvement, as previous studies showed this is related to research involvement in professional practice. Motivation for research and research self-efficacy beliefs are related to student research involvement. Based on social cognitive theory, success experiences in doing research may enhance research motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. However, the role and type of success experiences in promoting research self-efficacy beliefs and motivation especially early in medical training has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we examined if academic success experiences within an undergraduate course in academic and scientific skills increased research motivation and self-efficacy beliefs among medical students. Furthermore, type of success experience was taken into account by looking at the effects of academic success experiences within standard (i.e., exam) versus authentic (i.e., research report and oral presentation) assessments. Hypotheses It was hypothesized that academic success experiences increase intrinsic motivation for research and self-efficacy beliefs. Furthermore, we hypothesized that authentic assessments influence intrinsic motivation for research and self-efficacy beliefs to a larger degree than standard assessments, as the authentic assessments mirror real-world practices of researchers. Method First-year undergraduate medicine students followed a course in academic and scientific skills in which they conducted research individually. Their academic success experiences were operationalized as their grades on two authentic research assessments (written report and oral presentation) and one less authentic assessment (written exam). We surveyed students before the course when entering medical school (i.e., baseline measure) and 1 year after the course in their 2nd year (i.e., postmeasure). Both the baseline and postmeasure surveys measured intrinsic motivation for research, extrinsic motivation for research, and research self-efficacy beliefs. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between academic success experiences and intrinsic motivation for research, extrinsic motivation for research, and research self-efficacy beliefs on the postmeasure. We adjusted for prior research motivation and self-efficacy beliefs at baseline. Therefore, this adjusted effect can be interpreted as an increase or decrease in motivation. In addition, we adjusted for age, gender, and grade point average (GPA) of the first 4 months, as these variables were seen as possible confounders. Results In total, 243 of 275 students participated (88.4%). Academic success experiences in writing and presenting research were related to a significant increase in intrinsic motivation for research. After adjusting for prior GPA, only the effect of presenting remained. Experiencing success in presenting enhanced research self-efficacy beliefs, also after adjusting for prior GPA. Higher grades on the exam did not affect intrinsic motivation for research or research self-efficacy significantly. Also, none of the success experiences influenced extrinsic motivation for research. Conclusions Academic success experiences on authentic research tasks, especially presenting research, may be a good way to enhance intrinsic motivation for research and research self-efficacy beliefs. In turn, research motivation and self-efficacy beliefs promote research involvement, which is a first step in the physician-scientist pipeline. Furthermore, this study established the applicability of the social cognitive theory in a research context within the medical domain.

The Relationship between Attitude toward Research and Research Self-efficacy in MSc Students of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Positive attitude towards research can increase the students’ interest in research. Research self-efficacy is an effective factor on attitude towards research. It seems that higher research self-efficacy can influence students’ interest in research. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between attitude to research and research self-efficacy in MSc students of medical sciences. Methods: In this descriptive study, 176 graduate students in medical sciences were selected through stratified random sampling. The data collection tool was the questionnaires of attitude toward research and research self-efficacy. Data analysis was conducted using parametric statistical tests by SPSS version 15. Results: Most samples were female (80.1%) and studied nursing (10.8%), while a minority of them was studying parasitology and physiology (1.1%). A significant statistical correlation was observed between the mean scores of attitude towards research and research self-efficacy of students. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the mean scores of attitude towards research and the students' age and gender. Conclusions: Based on the results, existence of a positive relationship between attitude and research self-efficacy suggests that creation of a positive attitude towards research creates higher research self-efficacy beliefs in students and provides a basis for more student research.

Testing intersectionality of race/ethnicity × gender in a social-cognitive career theory model with science identity.

Using social-cognitive career theory, we identified the experiential sources of learning that contribute to research self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and science identity for culturally diverse undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math (i.e., STEM) majors. We examined group differences by race/ethnicity and gender to investigate potential cultural variations in a model to explain students' research career intentions. Using a sample of 688 undergraduate students, we ran a series of path models testing the relationships between the experiential sources, research self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and science identity to research career intentions. Findings were largely consistent with our hypotheses in that research self-efficacy and outcome expectancies were directly and positively associated with research career intentions and the associations of the experiential sources to intentions were mediated via self-efficacy. Science identity contributed significant though modest variance to research career intentions indirectly via its positive association with outcome expectations. Science identity also partially mediated the efficacy-outcome expectancies path. The experiential sources of learning were associated in expected directions to research self-efficacy with 3 of the sources emerging as significantly correlated with science identity. An unexpected direct relationship from vicarious learning to intentions was observed. In testing for group differences by race/ethnicity and gender in subsamples of Black/African American and Latino/a students, we found that the hypothesized model incorporating science identity was supported, and most paths did not vary significantly across four Race/Ethnicity × Gender groups, except for 3 paths. Research and practice implications of the findings for supporting research career intentions of culturally diverse undergraduate students are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Foreign Language Faculty Research-Related Beliefs, Perceptions, and Research Motivation at Three Mexican Universities

This paper examines the research self-efficacy beliefs, research motivation, and perceptions of research importance and research obstacles of 100 professors and lecturers of foreign languages at three Mexican universities. Survey results show that faculty hold moderate to high research self-efficacy beliefs, are highly motivated to conduct research, think research in the area is very important, and perceive that lack of time is the main obstacle to conducting research. The lack of fit between most participants’ relatively high self-efficacy and limited research engagement suggests the possibility that faculty overestimate their research abilities. The implications of these findings are also discussed.

Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Education: A Study of Audiology, Speech-Language Therapy, and Physical Therapy Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Education: A Study of Audiology, Speech-Language Therapy, and Physical Therapy Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Academic career intentions in the life sciences: Can research self-efficacy beliefs explain low numbers of aspiring physician and female scientists?

A lack of physician scientists as well as a high female dropout rate from academic medicine and basic life sciences is a concern in many countries. The current study analyzes academic career intentions within a sample of recent doctoral graduates from medicine and basic life sciences (N = 1109), focusing on research self-efficacy beliefs as explanatory variable of gender and disciplinary differences. To ensure that differences in research self-efficacy could not be attributed solely to objective scientific performance, we controlled for number of publications and dissertation grade. The results of multivariate analyses pointed to a strong and significant association between research self-efficacy and academic career intentions (ß = 0.49, p<0.001). The lower academic career intentions of medical doctoral graduates were no longer significant when controlling for research self-efficacy. Within the field of medicine, female doctoral graduates expressed lower research self-efficacy beliefs and academic career intentions. When controlling for research self-efficacy, the correlation between gender and academic career intention was no longer significant. In contrast, no gender differences were found within the basic life sciences with respect to neither academic career intentions nor research self-efficacy.

Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships

Few studies have empirically investigated the specific factors in mentoring relationships between undergraduate researchers (mentees) and their mentors in the biological and life sciences that account for mentees’ positive academic and career outcomes. Using archival evaluation data from more than 400 mentees gathered over a multi-year period (2005–2011) from several undergraduate biology research programs at a large, Midwestern research university, we validated existing evaluation measures of the mentored research experience and the mentor–mentee relationship. We used a subset of data from mentees (77% underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities) to test a hypothesized social cognitive career theory model of associations between mentees’ academic outcomes and perceptions of their research mentoring relationships. Results from path analysis indicate that perceived mentor effectiveness indirectly predicted post-baccalaureate outcomes via research self-efficacy beliefs. Findings are discussed with implications for developing new and refining existing tools to measure this impact, programmatic interventions to increase the success of culturally diverse research mentees and future directions for research.

Examining the Relationship between the Research Training Environment, Course Experiences, and Graduate Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Beliefs

This study examined the relationship between graduate students’ research training environment, course experience, and research self-efficacy beliefs. The findings of the descriptive and regression analyses suggest that graduate students’ (n = 161) general research, quantitative, and qualitative research self-efficacy beliefs varied and that these beliefs were related to different aspects of the research training environment and course experiences, including their own personal research experiences. While course experience variables were significant predictors of quantitative and qualitative research self-efficacy, they were not predictive of general research methods self-efficacy. Also, while mentorship was a significant predictor of general research methods self-efficacy, it was not a significant predictor of quantitative and qualitative research self-efficacy. The implications of this study for research and graduate education are discussed.

An investigation of research self-efficacy beliefs and research productivity among faculty members at an emerging research university in the USA

The purposes of this study are to add to the existing knowledge base on research self-efficacy beliefs of faculty members and their influence on research productivity, and to inform higher education administrators about the relationship between research self-efficacy beliefs and research productivity. A theoretical framework of social cognitive theory underpins the study in which 109 faculty members completed the Research Self-Efficacy Inventory and Research Productivity Index. Quantitative analysis indicated that there is a significant but small correlation between research self-efficacy and productivity.

Effects of an educational intervention on female biomedical scientists’ research self-efficacy

Women and people of color continue to be underrepresented among biomedical researchers to an alarming degree. Research interest and subsequent productivity have been shown to be affected by the research training environment through the mediating effects of research self-efficacy. This article presents the findings of a study to determine whether a short-term research training program coupled with an efficacy enhancing intervention for novice female biomedical scientists of diverse racial backgrounds would increase their research self-efficacy beliefs. Forty-three female biomedical scientists were randomized into a control or intervention group and 15 men participated as a control group. Research self-efficacy significantly increased for women who participated in the self-efficacy intervention workshop. Research self-efficacy within each group also significantly increased following the short-term research training program, but cross-group comparisons were not significant. These findings suggest that educational interventions that target sources of self-efficacy and provide domain-specific learning experiences are effective at increasing research self-efficacy for women and men. Further studies are needed to determine the longitudinal outcomes of this effort.

Research Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Research Outcome Expectations: Implications for Developing Scientifically Minded Psychologists

This article explores how and whether the empirical evidence pertaining to research self-efficacy beliefs and research outcome expectations can inform the training and development of scientifically minded psychologists. The competencies associated with a scientifically minded psychologist are described, and a summary and critique of the literature focused on research self-efficacy beliefs and research outcome expectations are presented. An assessment of whether these constructs are adequate for facilitating the development of scientifically minded psychologists is provided. Implications for future research directions are discussed.

Predicting Research Interest Among Rehabilitation Counseling Students and Faculty

To develop a clearer understanding of the variables that contribute to research interest and involvement among rehabilitation counseling students and faculty, the results of two studies examining research self-efficacy beliefs, research outcome expectations, and elements of research training environments were compared. Differences were found in research outcome expectations and research self-efficacy between students and faculty. Social-cognitive career theory is used as a framework for explaining these differences, and implications for the research training of rehabilitation counseling students are discussed.

Using Social Cognitive Career Theory to Create Affirmative Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Research Training Environments

Historically, counseling psychologists have conducted relatively few empirical studies addressing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) issues. Methodological challenges, heterosexism, and homophobia present particular challenges to facilitating such research. Moreover, research suggests that graduate students receive little or no training about conducting LGB research The authors examine social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, &amp; Hackeu, 1994) to generate recommendations for creating research training environments that are affirming of LGB issues. Based on this model, suggestions are offered to influence several aspects of the research training environment: distal and proximal environmental influences, individual variables, students' research self-efficacy beliefs, and students' research outcome expectations. It is hoped that these recommendations will help to improve graduate training programs and to advance empirical knowledge about LGB issues in psychology.

Applying social cognitive theory to interest in research among counseling psychology doctoral students: A path analysis.

In this study, the R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, and G. Hackett (1994) social cognitive model of interest development was applied to the prediction of interest in research. Participants included 184 counseling psychology doctoral students. Results of a path analysis indicated that 5 variables were significant predictors of interest in research: research outcome expectations, research self-efficacy beliefs, investigative interests, artistic interests, and age. In addition, several factors indirectly affected interest in research through effects on research self-efficacy-the research training environment, Holland Investigative interests, and year in program. Research training environment, Holland Investigative interests, and research self-efficacy beliefs also had an impact on interest in research indirectly through their effects on research outcome expectations.

Self-efficacy expectations and causal attributions for achievement among male and female university faculty

The purpose of this study was to extend a theoretical model of research self-efficacy among university faculty by testing the relations between research self-efficacy and research performance and between research self-efficacy and causal attributions for achievement. A further focus of the study was to examine sex differences among university faculty in their research self-efficacy beliefs, frequency of performance of research tasks, and productivity. A sample of university faculty at a large southern university was surveyed. Results provided empirical support for the research self-efficacy model. The relations between research self-efficacy and research productivity and between research self-efficacy and causal attributions were found to be statistically significant. Males reported significantly stronger research self-efficacy beliefs, a greater amount of time spent on research activities, and greater productivity than females. Results were discussed in terms of their relation to theory and previous research.