The Influence of Academic Self-Efficacy on University Students’ Academic Performance: The Mediating Effect of Academic Engagement

Abstract

Challenges and competition are being faced in higher education. Students’ unsatisfactory academic performance and dropouts are obvious problems worldwide. The “student-centered” pedagogy requires universities to pay attention to the needs of students. Research has demonstrated that academic self-efficacy is a positive psychological variable in the prevention of students becoming academically burnt out and withdrawing from their studies. By increasing academic engagement and improving academic performance, academic self-efficacy can reduce the dropout rates. This study attempted to achieve an in-depth comprehension of the nexus between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement among university students and the mediating role of academic engagement in the association between the two. A total of 258 participants were included in the cross-sectional study. The relationships among academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients. In order to examine the intermediating role of academic engagement in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance, a mediation analysis was applied. A favorable and strong correlation among academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance was found in this study. Academic self-efficacy can be a direct predictor of academic achievement and can also be an indirect predictor of academic achievement via the intermediating effect of academic engagement. The findings of this study provide theoretical and practical recommendations for university researchers and administrators. The findings confirm the mediating role of academic engagement between academic self-efficacy and academic performance. The results provide universities with evidence for use in the design of projects and programs for the improvement of students’ academic performance. Increasing the level of academic self-efficacy and enhancing academic engagement are of utmost importance for university students to maintain and improve their academic performance.