Self-efficacy: A Predictor of Success

Abstract

Self-efficacy is the persons’ judgement about their capabilities to organize and execute the action to attain the desired level of performance. Personal belief about capabilities to complete the task successfully show the behavioral choices, persistance, perforamnce and attitude. It helps to explain why people differ widely even having same knowledge, skills and abilities. Will I succeed or fail? Will I be liked or laughed at? Should I do it or not? Answers of these questions are based on personal efficacy (competence). Expectations of success or failure at a particular task is influenced by the sense of self-efficay in that area. High self-efficacy students engage in more effective self-regulatory strategies at each level of ability. High self-efficacy has been demonstrated by high academic achievement. On the contrary, low self-efficay destroy the personality that leads to anxiety, depression and other negative traits. Some low self-efficacious students give up on or never begin a task that leads to failure. 264 students of secondary classes from private and government high schools of Rawalpindi were randomly selected to administer a self-prepared 21 item Likert scale. Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was applied by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that academic achievement was associated with sense of self-efficacy. Self-efficacious students are competent to approach difficult tasks to take mastery. High self-efficacious students show their competency as they put required effort to get their targets. They are able to solve even more difficult problems. Self-efficacy increases the self competency among students.