Further evidence on the structural relationship between academic self-concept and self-efficacy: On the effects of domain specificity

Critical Thinking, Generalized Anxiety in Satisfaction with Studies: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy in Medical Students

BACKGROUND

The academic and emotional challenges faced by medical students can affect critical thinking and may also contribute to the development of increased generalized anxiety. Similarly, critical thinking and generalized anxiety can impact study satisfaction through the mediating mechanism of academic self-efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the mediating role of academic self-efficacy between critical thinking and generalized anxiety in study satisfaction among medical students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional and explanatory study was conducted involving 259 Peruvian medical students aged between 18 and 35 (M = 20.29, SD = 2.84). The evaluation was based on self-reported questionnaires covering critical thinking, generalized anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and study satisfaction. Furthermore, a structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation approach was employed to examine the relationships between variables.

RESULTS

The results showed an adequate fit of the model [χ2 (87) = 155, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 (CI: 0.04-0.07), SRMR = 0.07], demonstrating the impact of critical thinking and generalized anxiety. It was confirmed that academic self-efficacy has a positive effect on study satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating role of academic self-efficacy was confirmed between critical thinking and study satisfaction, as well as between generalized anxiety and study satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the high academic load on medical students, academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between critical thinking, generalized anxiety, and satisfaction with studies. The development of educational strategies will help to promote critical thinking and academic self-efficacy, as well as provide support to students with generalized anxiety, to enhance study satisfaction.

Gender-moderated effects of academic self-concept on achievement, motivation, performance, and self-efficacy: A systematic review

Although academic self-concept plays a crucial role in promoting students' education, there is a paucity of studies simultaneously exploring the gender-moderated effects of academic self-concept. This study aimed to explore gender-moderated effects of academic self-concept on achievement, motivation, performance, and self-efficacy. With Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol (PRISMA-P) and STARLITE criteria, this study screened and assessed the retrieved literature, finally including 53 studies. It was concluded that academic self-concept exerted a positive influence on improving achievement, enhancing motivation, ameliorating performance, and boosting self-efficacy. It should also be noted that interrelations between academic self-concept and other educational constructs may be much more complicated than expected since gender disparities may moderate the effects of academic self-concept. Gender discrepancies in academic self-concept could account for the gap between male students and female students in subject-specific achievement, motivation, performance, and self-efficacy, especially in STEM courses. Teaching interventions and educational policies should be taken to enhance female students' STEM courses self-concept. Future studies should promote educational equality, highlight academic self-concept of special groups, and enhance academic self-concept in online learning.

Systematic review registration

https://osf.io/uxjnv/?view_only=b10db44d34154d96a361c159ca15a5b5.

Self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan

Self-motivated and directed learning is integral to knowledge base expansion for learners of all ages. Both motivational and cognitive processes drive self-motivated and directed lifelong learning, yet how these different processes operate together from childhood through adulthood is largely unknown. In this review, we discuss the role of personal motivators, such as beliefs in self-efficacy and personality traits in self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan. We then consider the role of cognitive processes that contribute to knowledge base expansion in learners of all ages, specifically executive functions. We focus on working memory, inhibitory control, and task switching as potential determinants of lifelong learning. Finally, we integrate the two literatures, to discuss ways in which personal motivators may influence deployment of executive functions under self-motivated and directed conditions as a learner advances along a developmental trajectory. We also suggest ways to move the study of self-motivated and directed learning beyond observation and self-report measures thus affording experimental control. We aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding and novel insight to the mechanisms and processes of self-motivated and directed learning across the lifespan.

Development of adolescents’ self-esteem and general academic self-concept: perceived classroom climate makes a difference

We investigated rank-order continuity and mean-level change in adolescents’ self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept and tested whether interindividual differences in intraindividual change could be explained by four dimensions of classroom climate (i.e., teachers’ focus on students, learning community, pressure related to social or achievement issues, and rivalry and disruptions in class). The effects of classroom climate dimensions were investigated at the individual and classroom levels. The study comprised 2722 students from 98 classes who participated in four waves from grades 5 to 8. Rank-order continuities of self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept were substantial. Multilevel regressions revealed a significant nonlinear mean-level change in all constructs under investigation, indicating an initial decrease that became smaller over time. In self-esteem and social self-concept, the trend shifted from an initial decrease to an increase. Multilevel regressions revealed significant interindividual differences in the changes over time in all constructs. Change in academic self-concept was significantly predicted by all classroom climate dimensions on the individual level. Change in self-esteem was predicted by teachers’ focus on students and pressure related to social or achievement issues on the individual level. Change in social self-concept was not predicted by any classroom climate dimension.

Ability self-concept and self-efficacy in higher education: An empirical differentiation based on their factorial structure

Ability self-concept (SC) and self-efficacy (SE) are central competence-related self-perceptions that affect students' success in educational settings. Both constructs show conceptual differences but their empirical differentiation in higher education has not been sufficiently demonstrated. In the present study, we investigated the empirical differentiation of SC and SE in higher education with N = 1,243 German psychology students (81% female; age M = 23.62 years), taking into account central methodological requirements that, in part, have been neglected in prior studies. SC and SE were assessed at the same level of specificity, only cognitive SC items were used, and multiple academic domains were considered. We modeled the structure of SC and SE taking into account a multidimensional and/or hierarchical structure and investigated the empirical differentiation of both constructs on different levels of generality (i.e., domain-specific and domain-general). Results supported the empirical differentiation of SC and SE with medium-sized positive latent correlations (range r = .57 - .68) between SC and SE on different levels of generality. The knowledge about the internal structure of students' SC and SE and the differentiation of both constructs can help us to develop construct-specific and domain-specific intervention strategies. Future empirical comparisons of the predictive power of SC and SE can provide further evidence that both represent empirical different constructs.

Akademische Selbstkonzepte und akademische Selbstwirksamkeiten: Interdependenzen und Beziehungen zu schulischen Leistungen

Zusammenfassung. Selbstkonzept und Selbstwirksamkeit sind zwei wichtige pädagogisch-psychologische Konstrukte. Über ihre gegenseitige Beziehung und diskriminanten und inkrementellen Vorhersagevaliditäten für schulische Leistungen ist nur wenig bekannt, weil sie zumeist separat analysiert wurden (entweder Selbstkonzept oder Selbstwirksamkeit). Untersucht wurden die Interdependenzen von drei schulfachspezifischen akademischen Selbstkonzeptskalen und drei schulfachspezifischen akademischen Selbstwirksamkeitsskalen sowie deren statistische Vorhersagekraft für Schulleistungen (Zensuren). Die Fächer waren Englisch, Geschichte und Mathematik. Untersucht wurden N = 825 Jugendliche, die chinesische Mittelschulen besuchten (Alter: M = 14.46 Jahre, SD = 0.79). Konfirmatorische Faktorenanalysen (CFA) belegten einerseits in jedem Schulfach zwei separate akademische „Selbst“-Faktoren (Selbstkonzept und Selbstwirksamkeit) und andererseits innerhalb eines jeden „Selbst“-Konstrukts drei Schulfachfaktoren (Englisch, Geschichte und Mathematik). Eine gemeinsame CFA über alle „Selbst“-Items führte zu sechs prägnanten Dimensionen: drei fachspezifische Selbstkonzeptfaktoren und drei fachspezifische Selbstwirksamkeitsfaktoren. Sparsamere Alternativmodelle waren weniger gut mit den Daten vereinbar. Entsprechend zusammengestellte Skalen hatten gute psychometrische Kennwerte. Multiple Regressionsanalysen und Kommunalitätenanalysen zeigten, dass die akademischen Selbstkonzeptskalen die erfassten Schulzensuren wesentlich besser statistisch vorhersagten als akademischen Selbstwirksamkeitsskalen. Die von beiden „Selbst“-Skalen gemeinsam aufgeklärten (d. h. nicht weiter aufteilbaren) Schulleistungsvarianzen betrugen 29.9 % (Englisch), 17.0 % (Geschichte) und 31.5 % (Mathematik). Die spezifischen (d. h. nicht mit der jeweiligen anderen „Selbst“-Skala konfundierten) Varianzaufklärungen lagen für die akademischen Selbstkonzepte bzw. akademischen Selbstwirksamkeiten bei 5.3 % bzw. 3.4 % (Englisch), bei 8.0 % bzw. 0.4 % (Geschichte) und bei 8.1 %. bzw. 1.8 % (Mathematik). Die Diskussion betont die große Relevanz der Schulfächer für die konzeptuelle und empirische Differenzierbarkeit sowie die Validität der beiden „Selbst“-Konstrukte.