Self-efficacy and academic performance

The aim in the present study was to examine the predictive effectiveness of self-efficacy in an academic setting. Seventy-six postgraduate students completed a questionnaire to assess efficacy expectations toward competencies perceived to underpin performance on the course. As there was a 13-week difference in time between completing the self-efficacy questionnaire and completing the performance criterion, it was considered important to assess the stability of self-efficacy measures. To this end, participants completed the same items 1 week later. Test-retest reliability results indicated that efficacy to cope with intellectual demands, pass first time, and achieve a specific grade were relatively stable. Performance was assessed using end of the semester grades. Regression results showed that “self-efficacy to cope with the intellectual demands of the program” predicted 11.5% of performance variance. Given that there was a 13-week time gap between self-efficacy and performance and that the complexity of the task was high, findings from the present study suggest that self-efficacy has some utility in an academic setting.