Title: Factors affecting student’s self-efficacy in higher education
Authors: Mart van Dinther, Filip Dochy, Mein Segars
The article explored the concept of self-efficacy being a key component of a student’s motivation. Self-efficacy is recognized as an aspect of social cognitive theory, which defines the beliefs of one’s capabilities to organize and execute the actions for academic success. It is suggested that a student’s self-efficacy is accountable for their choice of exertion, perseverance and performance. Self-efficacy beliefs became the focus of a clinical experiment regarding phobias, depression and assertiveness. It was concluded that self-efficacy is a predictor of behavioural modification, thus, it has the ability to impact the behaviour of learning new skills. Thus, a positive relationship between self-efficacy and a student’s effort, perseverance and elasticity. In order to ensure the concept of self-efficacy is not misinterpreted the authors differentiates between concepts of self-esteem, self-reflection an self-concept. According to the study a student sense of self-efficacy comes from mastery experience, observational experience, social persuasion, physiological and psychological states, which are factors all students take into consideration when taking on a challenge.