Self-efficacy Beliefs Research Articles

Understanding Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation in Online English Learning

The present study, based on a cross-lagged panel design, was to examine the directionality of the relationships between anxiety, self-efficacy, and motivation in the context of online English learning. A total of 420 university students in China completed self-efficacy belief, motivation, and anxiety measures twice, eight months apart. The findings suggest that self-efficacy belief mediates the relationship between motivation and anxiety in online English learning, whereas anxiety mediates the relationship between self-efficacy belief and students’ motivation. The mediation models based on two times of data collection achieved a satisfactory fit. However, the second model demonstrated a better model fit, highlighting the importance of anxiety in the relationship between motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. Understanding the causes and effects of anxiety for students may lead to training and resource development that are important to maintaining students’ self-efficacy belief and motivation in online English learning.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EFL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY AND THEIR EPISTEMIC BELIEFS

Nowadays, English is an essential language that must be mastered and has been studied for many years as a foreign language in many countries in the world. Specifically, English pre-service teachers' ability to teach students English as a foreign language requires self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs that can support students’ 21st century skills. Self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs are related to individual differences in psychological domains that can affect learning achievement. An investigation of the relationship between self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs of pre-service teachers in a reputable university in Malang, East Java was conducted in this study. This study examined the relationship between pre-service teachers' self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs. The method of this research is correlational study. A total of 85 pre-service teachers completed the self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs questionnaires. SPSS was used to analyze the questionnaire filled out by the participants and determine the results. As a result of SPSS's analysis, self-efficacy is positively correlated with epistemic beliefs, which implies a correlation in both areas. The findings of the correlation coefficient is -0.528, the correlation between self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs is negative and it means that the higher EFL self-efficacy the simpler their epistemic beliefs. A correlation from SPSS's analysis indicates that self-efficacy and epistemic beliefs have a medium relationship.

Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among Japanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language Teachers: The Importance of Teacher Experience

This article presents the findings of a mixed-methods study measuring the efficacy beliefs of Japanese English-as-a-foreign-language teachers regarding student engagement, instructional strategies, classroom management, and lesson planning. The study sought to identify relationships between levels of self-reported efficacy among these teachers and their gender, as well as their teaching experience. It also examined their views on how schools could support their teaching to enable them to become more effective and confident language teachers. Data were collected using a reflective report, a semi-structured interview, and a self-efficacy questionnaire. The findings indicated that Japanese secondary school teachers reported fairly high levels of perceived self-efficacy in their pedagogical practice. These beliefs were significantly correlated to only one factor: teaching experience. The study also revealed that experienced teachers had higher expectations regarding support from their schools and that these were more concrete and explanatory than those of novice teachers.

Primary Teachers’ Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes Regarding Teaching Early Literacy Skills Incorporating the Science of Reading (SoR)

Reading instruction in primary schools has been at the center of attention for decades. Teachers are expected to be qualified and capable literacy teachers in order to produce proficient readers who are able to identify letters, understand the relationship between letters and sounds, decode the words on the page with automaticity and fluently read the text while simultaneously comprehending. In order for students to be successful, proficient and confident readers, teachers must understand the science of teaching beginning reading. The science of reading (SoR) is a collection of objective and reliable evidence about how humans learn to read, and ultimately, includes evidence-based instructional approaches that provide learning opportunities for all readers. The purpose of this research was to explore primary grade US teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge regarding early literacy skills incorporating the Science of Reading (SoR). The researchers employed a QUAN descriptive design and analyzed the data using SPSS. A sample of 126 kindergarten through second grade teachers’ teaching self-efficacy and early literacy knowledge were analyzed with descriptive statistics and revealed that the majority of participants believed in their ability to teach reading effectively, yet possessed low early literacy knowledge (M=60%) but had average self-efficacy beliefs. Of significance, respondents may believe they can teach reading effectively yet do not have the knowledge to do so.

The Importance of a Coordinated Career Guidance System in Addressing the Rural NEETs Issue

A rapidly ageing population, the dual transition, major changes in the job market, and the coronavirus and its effects amplify existing disparities (gender gap, urban-rural cleavages), posing a considerable challenge for peripheral regions. In these circumstances, the labour market integration of young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) is becoming increasingly urgent for peripheral regions such as rural areas. Various legislation, policies, and community-based interventions play a significant role in promoting integration. Still, subjective factors such as self-efficacy beliefs affect perceptions of career opportunities and can even prevent some from seizing opportunities. As a result, approaches to tackling the rural NEET issue need to focus on a long-term, sustainable solution. One could be career guidance, which helps individuals take charge of their lives and choose meaningful careers and educational paths. Consequently, our research aimed to identify the conditions in 22 European countries related to career guidance that lead to low rural NEET rates among 25–29-year-olds. Career guidance systems were explored through content analysis of country-specific reports on lifelong guidance systems and then analysed using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The research results draw attention to the importance of coordinated career guidance systems in preventing and (re)integrating NEETs, as it helps make informed, meaningful, and long-term career decisions.

The relationship of emotions, motivation and language learning autonomy:

The investigation of contextual variations in the role of individual difference variables is one of the most important research aims in foreign language pedagogy, especially in teaching environments where there are fluctuations in teaching efficiency. Thus, in our study we aimed 1) to show the ways various emotions, motivational variables, and self-efficacy beliefs relate to language learning autonomy; and 2) to explore the extent to which these influences are context independent, that is, equally important across schools. To achieve these aims, we designed a nation-wide quantitative study in Hungary that included students (N = 1,152) from 11 secondary schools across the country through systematic quota sampling. The scales included in our standardized questionnaire were analysed with multivariate statistical techniques. Our analysis focused on school-level differences, and the main results show that, concerning learner autonomy, the only association that seems to be significant across each school is students' motivation, while the role of the other scales is limited to some of the schools. Based on our results, we suggest implications for teachers and researchers alike.

Tying leaders' identity work and executive coaching research together: an overview of systematic reviews and agenda for research

PurposeDespite the interest in leaders' identity work as a framework for leadership development, coaching psychology has yet to expose its active ingredients and outcomes.Design/methodology/approachTo do so, the authors reconcile published systematic literature reviews (SLRs) in the field to arrive at a more thorough understanding of the role of identity work in coaching. A total of 60 eligible SLRs on identity work and coaching were identified between 2010 and 2022. Four were included in the data extraction after selecting and screening, and the full texts of 196 primary studies reported therein were analysed.FindingsAmongst the coachee-related factors of effective coaching, the coachee’s motivation, general self-efficacy beliefs, personality traits and goal orientation were the most frequently reported active ingredients, and performance improvement, self-awareness and goal specificity were the most frequently supported outcomes. The analysis indicates that leaders' identity work, as an active ingredient, can be a moderator variable for transformative coaching interventions, while strengthening leadership role identity could be one of the lasting outcomes because coaching interventions facilitate, deconstruct and enhance leaders' identity work. Further research is needed to explore the characteristics of these individual, relational and collective processes.Originality/valueThis study adds value by synthesising SLRs that report coachee-related active ingredients and outcomes of executive coaching research. It demonstrates that the role of leaders' identity work is a neglected factor affecting coaching results and encourages coaching psychologists to apply identity framework in their executive coaching practice.

Mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and its relationship with teaching practices

Given that teachers’ self-efficacy belief is correlated with students’ performance and positive behavior in terms of teaching, the present study examined the teaching practices of mathematics teachers and their self-efficacy beliefs with regard to some variables (gender, educational background, teaching phase, and school type). This study is underpinned by a positivist paradigm and a quantitative research approach. The researchers employed a survey research design. The population for this study is made up of all mathematics teachers in schools located in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa from which a total of 266 mathematics teachers teaching in senior phase, further education and training phase, and intermediate phase were randomly sampled. In order to collect data, teachers teaching practice self-efficacy scale, which consisted of 23 items and four dimensions was employed. One-way analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and arithmetic mean were conducted in analyzing the collected data. Despite having a high degree of confidence in their instructional strategies, teachers’ low self-efficacy beliefs were found to be influenced by the kind of schools, where they were teaching and their level of education. Based on these findings, it was recommended that relevant stakeholders in the education sector should make schools conducive to learning through the provision of required instructional materials that supports the teaching and learning of mathematics.

CREATE'ing improvements in first-year students' science efficacy via an online introductory course experience.

With a primary objective to engage students in the process of science online, we transformed a long-standing laboratory course for first-year science students into a more accessible, immersive experience of current biological research using a narrow and focused set of primary literature and the Consider, Read, Elucidate a hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment (CREATE) pedagogy. The efficacy of the CREATE approach has been demonstrated in a diversity of higher education settings and courses. It is, however, not yet known if CREATE can be successfully implemented online with a large, diverse team of faculty untrained in the CREATE pedagogy. Here, we present the transformation of a large-enrollment, multi-section, multi-instructor course for first-year students in which the instructors follow different biological research questions but work together to reach shared goals and outcomes. We assessed students' (i) science self-efficacy and (ii) epistemological beliefs about science throughout an academic year of instruction fully administered online as a result of ongoing threats posed by COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that novice CREATE instructors with varying levels of teaching experience and ranks can achieve comparable outcomes and improvements in students' science efficacy in the virtual classroom as a teaching team. This study extends the use of the CREATE pedagogy to large, team-taught, multi-section courses and shows its utility in the online teaching and learning environment.

Self-efficacy as a protective factor when translating under time pressure

The goal of this paper is to investigate the relations between translation trainees’ self-efficacy and hormonal and subjective responses to the stressful situation of translating under strict time constraints and how these may impact their actual translation performance. With that purpose in mind, participants completed a questionnaire in which they were asked about their self-efficacy beliefs (Costa, Serrano, Salvador, 2016) and two other self-reported questionnaires: the State-and-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, and Jacobs, 1983), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, and Tellegen, 1988). They were asked to translate three comparable literary texts from English into Spanish under different time limit conditions. When finished, they completed a questionnaire on their perceptions and feelings about their performance. Besides, five cortisol salivary samples were collected at different points in time during the experimental session. Overall, our results showed that self-efficacy beliefs are a protective factor against stress that reduces the negative impact of translating under time-pressure conditions. Regarding translation quality, trainees with higher self-efficacy seem to produce less accurate target texts in terms of meaning under stringent time pressure than students with lower self-efficacy beliefs. Moreover, a higher level of cortisol seems to have a beneficial effect on accuracy for the same condition.

Heeding the Voices of Pre-Service Early Childhood Education Teachers: Their Beliefs about Early Childhood Science Education and Self-Efficacy for Teaching Science

This cross-sectional survey study aimed to explore pre-service early childhood education teachers’ (PTs) beliefs about (a) the aims and scope of early childhood science education and (b) their self-efficacy beliefs in teaching science to preschool children. A survey consisting of open-ended questions was applied to PTs (N = 130). According to the results, PTs were aware of the importance of science education in early childhood. They mainly focused on the roles of early childhood science education in satisfying curiosity, developing questioning skills, and facilitating understanding of the environment and life. However, most PTs associated science education in early childhood with only natural sciences-related activities and concepts. Moreover, PTs reported low self-efficacy beliefs in teaching science to preschool children due to their lack of experience and theoretical knowledge. This study has some implications for PTs to view science education in early childhood from a comprehensive perspective and improve their self-efficacy.

A structural equation model of online learning: investigating self-efficacy, informal digital learning, self-regulated learning, and course satisfaction.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education increasingly relies on online learning, necessitating a nuanced understanding of crucial factors impacting learning experiences. This research investigates the intricate relationships among online learning self-efficacy, online self-regulated learning, informal digital learning of English (IDLE), and online course satisfaction within the unique context of EFL learners. The study involved 563 intermediate college students from various national universities in China. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data, providing comprehensive insights into the relationships among the identified variables. The results revealed significant insights. Both online learning self-efficacy and IDLE exhibited direct and positive influences on online course satisfaction. Furthermore, the study uncovered that online self-regulated learning acted as a partial mediator in the connection between online learning self-efficacy and IDLE with online course satisfaction. This mediation implies that learners' self-regulatory behaviors significantly affect how self-efficacy and informal digital language learning experiences impact overall satisfaction with online courses. The findings highlight the pivotal role of nurturing learners' self-efficacy beliefs, fostering IDLE, and promoting effective self-regulated learning strategies in the realm of online language learning. These initiatives are instrumental in enhancing learners' satisfaction and success in online courses. The implications of these findings for EFL instruction are substantial. By emphasizing the importance of self-efficacy, IDLE, and self-regulated learning strategies, educators can significantly contribute to creating more satisfying and successful online learning experiences for EFL students.

Beyond Belief: Exploring the Alignment of Self-Efficacy, Self-Prediction, Self-Perception, and Actual Performance Measurement in a Squat Jump Performance-A Pilot Study.

It is widely accepted that athletic performance emerges from a complex interaction between physical and cognitive features. Several studies highlighted self-efficacy (SE) in the cognitive domain of athletic performance, but no studies have correlated SE with sport-specific tasks. According to Bandura, this study explored SE and its relationship with self-prediction (SP), self-perception (PSJ), and actual performance in a squat jump (SJ). Thirty-nine healthy collegiate students were assessed using an SE questionnaire, an SP measurement tool, and a validated optical system for actual SJ performance. An SE score and an SE esteem index (SEE) were determined. The alignment between an individual's SP of their SJ performance and their SE beliefs was also examined. The data revealed a significant correlation between SE score and both SJ (r = 0.432; p = 0.006) and SP (r = 0.441; p = 0.005). Furthermore, disparities among the actual SJ, SP, and SEE were statistically non-significant, implying a congruence between self-belief and performance. With a deeper understanding of the interaction between SE, SP, and sport-specific tasks, sports professionals could develop targeted interventions to enhance athletes' overall athletic achievements and apply SE as a feature linking physical and cognitive athletic performance.

Self-efficacy of medical students in a hybrid curriculum course (traditional and problem-based learning) and associated factors

Self-efficacy consists of the judgment of one’s abilities to perform actions required to achieve a given performance, which has been considered predictive of performance. In academics, it means personal convictions in accomplishing a task to a defined degree of quality. Numerous studies have investigated medical students’ self-efficacy in traditional and PBL curricula. However, few studies have addressed the hybrid PBL scenario (Hpbl) that simultaneously contemplates PBL, traditional teaching, and practical activities. An even smaller number have evaluated the factors associated with this entity. With these considerations, we aimed to investigate the self-efficacy belief in the hPBL curriculum and the factors associated with this entity. This quantitative observational cross-sectional study was held between August 2022 and November 2022 in Fortaleza, a city in Northeast Brazil with almost 3 million inhabitants. The medical course has 12 semesters. The first two semesters use traditional teaching and cover the basic cycle, followed by the third to eighth semesters which correspond to the pre-clinical and clinical cycle. From the third semester onwards, traditional teaching and PBL are used simultaneously, which we call a hybrid model of PBL. The scale “Scale of Self-efficacy in Higher Education” was applied, a questionnaire validated for the Portuguese language consisting of 34 questions, with answers on a Likert-type scale with ten points, divided into five dimensions. To verify the association between sociodemographic factors and self-efficacy, simple and multiple linear models with robust errors were used. In total, 412 students participated in this study, most of them women (70.1%). The average age of students was 22.9 years. All domains had medians greater than 8, which means strong self-efficacy. The following factors were associated with higher self-efficacy scores in general after the multivariate analysis: female gender (8.6 vs. 8.3, p-value = 0.014), working (8.8 vs. 8.5, p-value = 0.019) and participating in extracurricular activities (8.7 vs. 8.1, p-value = 0.019). We conclude that medical students studying in hybrid learning models showed strong levels of self-efficacy. In addition, participating in extracurricular activities was associated with higher self-efficacy scores and males presented lower levels of self-efficacy.

Developing the Teacher mentoring self-efficacy scale (TMSES) using the Delphi method and exploratory factor analysis

As a psychometrically robust scale for measuring teacher mentoring self-efficacy beliefs remains to be established, the purpose of this study was to address this gap by developing the teacher mentoring self-efficacy scale (TMSES). In Phase 1 a Delphi approach (N = 26) determined the competencies needed for effective teacher mentoring. In Phase 2 these 44 competencies were used to generate TMSES items. Following testing with 239 teacher mentors, exploratory factor analysis suggested a 16-item two-factor model, with factors named as ‘Pedagogical Practices’ and ‘Professional Relationships.’ Results suggested strong inter-connections between qualitative themes, quantitative factors, and the theorised sources of self-efficacy.

Development and Validation of a Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Scale to Measure Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The study aims to develop and validate an affordable and generalizable survey design tool to measure pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about cultural and linguistic diversity. It is significant as there are relatively low number of studies aiming to measure such beliefs in today’s changing demographic conditions which are beyond its limits especially in some countries due to the massive flow of migrants. Most of these studies are qualitative which are not cost-effective and flexible. In this study, exploratory sequential mixed method was conducted. Initially, qualitative research design was employed. Findings were used to develop a valid and reliable survey design tool in a second quantitative phase in which data was gathered quantitatively to reduce the number of the variables to a few values representing self-efficacy beliefs and determine the latent components in the scale. Final version of the scale included 20 items across five factors after Exploratory Factor Analysis through principal axis factoring and Confirmatory Factor Analysis through maximum likelihood analysis. Findings supported that a set of 20 items in the final scale form was statistically valid and reliable in measuring pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse student groups.

GOTTA CATCH’ EM ALL: UTILIZATION OF IMPROVISED INSECT TRAPS AS HOME-BASED BIOLOGY EXPERIMENT FOR INSECT TAXONOMY

Classifying, naming, and identifying insects have been complicated topics among science teachers and students. This problem is due to the highly technical collection protocols, safekeeping procedures, the unavailability of appropriate learning resources, and the closure of school laboratories and facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the remote learning setup, this study utilized Improvised Insect Traps (IITs) to provide an authentic learning experience in teaching and learning insect taxonomy at home. The study aimed to determine the effects of using IITs on students’ self-efficacy beliefs and perceived levels of engagement. In this quasi-experimental study, 42 students designed and developed their improvised insect traps. Insect collection and classification were accomplished within four weeks. A 20-item validated survey questionnaire on self-efficacy and engagement levels was administered via Google Forms. Students’ feedback was gathered using virtual focus group discussions and open-ended questions. Results revealed that IITs effectively improved students’ self-efficacy beliefs (Z=0.033, p-value=0.022, g=0.68), while no improvement was noted in students’ perceived levels of engagement (Z=0.143, p-value=0.188, g=0.07) in teaching and learning insect taxonomy. Moreover, students’ feedback and responses were classified as Affordances or Constraints. Subthemes such as motivation, satisfaction, authentic learning, safety, and parental involvement were generated in the thematic analysis. Overall, this study found that the IITs activity is relevant in teaching insect taxonomy and delivering practical learning experiences among students in a distance learning modality.

Fostering inclusive learning: customized kits in chemistry education and their influence on self-efficacy, attitudes and achievements

Inclusion of a diverse group of students, both regular learners and learners with special needs in chemistry classrooms is an important goal of chemistry educators. However, alternative conceptions in chemistry among high-school students can be a barrier for completing the learning process in the classroom, especially in a heterogeneous class. This study aimed to examine differentiated instruction (DI) in a chemistry classroom. We evaluated how customized pedagogical kits (CPKs) for DI, which aim to overcome alternative conceptions found during chemistry instruction, affected students and teachers. This paper presents the findings of a mixed-method study that was conducted with 9 high-school chemistry teachers, and 551 chemistry students. We used a pre-post questionnaire to investigate the impact of CPKs on teachers’ and students’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards chemistry and differentiated instruction, in addition to students’ achievements. The findings indicated the significantly higher averages of self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards DI in chemistry among teachers and high-school students, in addition to the significantly higher performance of students in chemistry tasks after implementing CPKs in classrooms. Being aware of the limitations of DI, we discussed customized pedagogical kits as a means that can support better inclusion in chemistry education.

Factors Affecting English Foreign Language (EFL) Learners’ Acceptance of Content-Based Language Application for Language Learning

In recent years, investigating factors affecting learners’ acceptance has gained prominence. However, little is known about the effect of behavioural intention, and interactivity and engagement as mediating variables, particularly in the use of technology-based content application for language learning. This study explored the relationships among variables on learners’ acceptance of Content-Based Language Application (CBLA). The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) construct reveals a strong correlation with both self-efficacy and attitude. Performance expectancy demonstrates a positive correlation with attitudes, indicating that learners’ beliefs about favourable outcomes and performance in language learning influence their attitudes positively. Social influence exhibits a critical correlation with behavioural intention, highlighting the role of social factors in shaping learners’ intentions to engage in language learning activities. Effort expectancy shows a positive direct correlation with self-efficacy and attitude. Social influence significantly affects self-efficacy and attitude, and these effects are mediated by behavioural intention, as well as interactivity and engagement. These findings underscore the important role of social factors in shaping learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes, which in turn influence their behavioural intentions. Facilitating conditions have a substantial direct effect on behaviour, while interactivity and engagement act as mediators in the relationship between facilitating conditions and self-efficacy and attitude, highlighting their significance in shaping users’ attitudes and intentions to adopt and use content-based language application. Future research can investigate the suitability of the suggested model in other linguistic settings for broader applicability of the results. In light of the ever-evolving nature of technology and language learning, longitudinal studies could offer valuable insights into the lasting effects and stability of the observed relationships over an extended period.

Processes of Social Self-Comparison in Pupils with Disabilities and The Belief of Self-Efficacy

Processes of Social Self-Comparison in Pupils with Disabilities and The Belief of Self-Efficacy