Students’ Self-Efficacy, Causal Attribution Habits and Test Grades

Why do students vary in their performance on exams? It may be that their test preparation is insufficient because they overestimate their anticipated grade. Our study investigates four issues related to performance on a final examination. First, we analyze whether students’ ability to accurately pre...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEducation sciences Vol. 10; no. 9; pp. 231 - 244
Main Authors Hamann, Kerstin, Pilotti, Maura A. E., Wilson, Bruce M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2020
Subjects
Academic ability
Academic achievement
Accuracy
Attribution Theory
Beliefs
causal attribution habits
College Students
Confidence
exam grades
Grade Prediction
Grades (Scholastic)
Individual Differences
Instructional Effectiveness
Knowledge
Optimism
Psychological aspects
Self Efficacy
Self evaluation
Social Environment
Students
Study Guides
Test Preparation
Tests
United States
Florida
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Why do students vary in their performance on exams? It may be that their test preparation is insufficient because they overestimate their anticipated grade. Our study investigates four issues related to performance on a final examination. First, we analyze whether students’ ability to accurately predict their grade and their subjective confidence in this prediction may account for their grade. Second, we ask whether students at different levels of performance vary in their ability to accurately predict their grade, and if so, whether subjective confidence also differs. Third, we ask whether the accuracy and confidence of learners’ predictions are conditioned by self-efficacy beliefs and causal attribution habits, which serve as indices of motivation for test preparation. Fourth, we ask whether different causal attribution preferences contribute to self-efficacy. We use statistical analysis of data from a general education course at a large public university in the United States. Our results indicate that poor performers’ overestimates are likely to be wishful thinking as they are expressed with low subjective confidence. Self-efficacy is a significant contributor to the inaccuracy of students’ predicted grades and subjective confidence in such predictions. Professors’ understanding of learners’ forecasting mechanisms informs strategies devoted to academic success.
ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci10090231