title: Self-efficacy and academic achievement in Australian high school students: the mediating effects of academic aspirations and delinquency.
abstract: Studies have shown that self-efficacy, aspirational, and other psychosocial influences account for considerable variance in academic achievement through a range of mediational pathways, although no research to date has tested the mediational relationships identified. The present research investigated the structural relations among self-efficacy, academic aspirations, and delinquency, on the academic achievement of 935 students aged 11-18 years from ten schools in two Australian cities. The Children's Self-Efficacy Scale, Adapted Self-Report Delinquency Scale (Revised), and Children's Academic Aspirations Scale were administered to participants prior to academic achievement being assessed using mid-year school grades. Structural equation modeling was employed to test three alternative models for the relationships from academic, social, and self-regulatory efficacy on academic achievement. A partial mediation model showed the best overall fit to the data. Academic and self-regulatory efficacy had an indirect negative effect through delinquency and a direct positive effect on academic achievement. Academic and social self-efficacy had positive and negative relationships, respectively, with academic aspiration and academic achievement; however, the relationship between academic aspiration and academic achievement was not significant in the final model.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, School of Education, Brisbane, Australia. a.carroll@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Annemaree
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unsworth
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hattie
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bower
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011793:Queensland; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014904:Western Australia