A study conducted by Graham and Pajares named Self-Efficacy, Motivation Constructs, and Mathematics Performance of Entering Middle School Students is the focus of my update here. We shall analyze the diagnostics and results of the study and the tests used in it.

The objectives of the study basically were to state whether there is present influence of motivation variables on task specific mathematics performance. The focus being to judge if there is any change in these variables during the first year of middle school. The sample size was over 5000 and were students of grade 6.

Instruments

An instrument was used to help measure the self efficacy of students by asking students to decide how likely they felt it was that they would be able to solve 20 mathematics questions that were like the ones they would probably be given in the end of term. Students decided and their scores were rated between 20 to 160. An average of the score was taken by dividing by 20. The Cronbach Alpha value was taken to be .94 in fall thus making the instrument quite reliable.

Mathematics Anxiety Scale was factor analyzed and then reduced to 8 items and used in the research. Academic Self Description Questionnaire II (ASDQII) was also used along with others to get to know about how well the kids thinks they can perform. Engagement is considered an important consequent of efficacy beliefs and a determinant of academic performances (Miller, Greene, Montalvo, Ravindran, & Nochols, 1996; Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990; Pintrich & Schrauben, 1992; Schunk, 1984). It was thus determined with the help of three additional items.

In accordance to the social cognitive theory of bandura the previous learning is the basis on which students are able to set their efficacy limit. (Bandura,1986 & 1997) Thus the school provided researchers with two such previous results of the students performance in math. Gifted children were classified on the basis of their IQ.

Analyses

After the bias was removed in accordance with the evaluative procedure of Betz (1978). that is to say through statistical computation when the probability of error on subjective basis was reduced as much as possible the researchers conducted two multiple regression analyses. Multiple regression is used when we want to predict the value of a variable based on the result of two or more other variables. (Laerds Statistics, 2018)

The model was used to decide whether efficacy as perceived by the students had any influence on performance when other variables are being controlled. Thus the correlations of the self-efficacy was checked along with other variables and then the effect of self-efficacy was seen by comparing the results of the fall semester and the spring semester.

The table shows significant effect of self-efficacy on the results of both the spring and the fall terms. PC: Graham et. al.

As per the results it was seen that the academic skills of students in the fall term were predictive of the performance in the spring session. ITBS scores were predictive both in fall and spring. Self-efficacy came out to be the only motivator that was able to have a modest yet an independent influence on the results of the spring term. To limit the effect of other possible motivators the effect was statistically checked with the addition of self-efficacy scores and again but without the addition of self-efficacy and tit turned out that self-efficacy was an independent and important contributor to the prediction of the students scores.

Benefits

The results of the study were able to determine whether students’ mathematics self-efficacy beliefs had any independent influence in the forecast of performance in mathematics when other such commonly associated motivation variables shown to predict math-related outcomes are controlled. Mathematics self-efficacy was the found out to be the only motivating factor able to predict performance in the tests of both spring and fall. Thus this resolved the issue of whether self-efficacy is an important determinant of scores or not. The benefit we get from such finding id that the teachers especially of mathematics can regulate their focus to encompass the important yet easily overlooked issued of students self-image and esteem and the value they set by their skills. The efficacy of students in tasks has a very significant effect on whether the task will be performed or how well it will be performed.

Limits

Limitations of this research or any such research is that the results are not completely unbiased. That is to say that the statistical procedures that are being used are not beyond doubt and that the need for more such statistics that can help in the minimization of biases and maximization of the generality of the results is felt strongly.

The instruments used are mostly self evaluative which is not the best and most reliable method to achieve standardization and generality.

Here are some videos about Self-efficacy and its importance in the light of Banduras Theory of learning. Bandura himself discusses the tenets of his theory in a very simple and straight forward way.

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

Betz, N. E. (1978). Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25, 441–448.

Miller, R. B., Greene, B. A., Montalvo, G. P., Ravindran, B., & Nochols, J. D. (1996). Engagement in academic work: The role of learning goals, future consequences, pleasing others, and perceived ability. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 388–422.

Pajares, F. (1996a). Self-efficacy beliefs and mathematical problem solving of gifted students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 325–344.

Pajares, F. (1996b). Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational Research, 66, 543–578.

Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33–40.

Pintrich, P. R., & Schrauben, B. (1992). Students’ motivational beliefs and their cognitive engagement in classroom academic tasks. In D. H. Schunk & J. L. Meece (Eds.), Student perceptions in the classroom (pp. 149–183). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Schunk, D. H. (1984). Self-efficacy perspective on achievement behavior. Educational psychologist, 19, 48–58.