Factors that contribute to secondary school students' self-efficacy in being a successful university student

Academic self-efficacy is a crucial predictor of first-year university study success, which makes it a key intended outcome of pre-university education. Students with high academic self-efficacy at the end of secondary education likely experience a better transition to university. This study aimed t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inResearch in Post-Compulsory Education Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 535 - 555
Main Authors van Rooij, Els C. M., Jansen, Ellen P. W. A., van de Grift, Wim J. C. M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.10.2017
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
academic interest
Cognition & reasoning
College Readiness
College Students
Course Selection (Students)
Educational Attainment
Foreign Countries
Gender Differences
Grade 10
Grade 11
Learner Engagement
Leisure Time
Likert Scales
need for cognition
Parent Background
Personality Traits
Questionnaires
Secondary School Students
Secondary School Teachers
Secondary schools
Self Efficacy
Statistical Analysis
Structural Equation Models
Student Behavior
Student Characteristics
Student Interests
Student Motivation
University readiness
University students
Netherlands
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Summary:Academic self-efficacy is a crucial predictor of first-year university study success, which makes it a key intended outcome of pre-university education. Students with high academic self-efficacy at the end of secondary education likely experience a better transition to university. This study aimed to investigate which factors relate to Dutch secondary school students' self-efficacy in terms of being a successful university student, including a personality variable (i.e. need for cognition), a motivational variable (academic interest), and behavioural variables (student engagement and out-of-school academic activities). Structural equation models served to test the proposed model. The results revealed that need for cognition, academic interest, and out-of-school academic activities related directly to self-efficacy; need for cognition and academic interest were especially pertinent. By focusing on improving students' need for cognition and academic interest, secondary school teachers can contribute to the development of students' academic self-efficacy and thereby increase their chances for a successful transition to university.
ISSN:1359-6748
1747-5112
DOI:10.1080/13596748.2017.1381301