Promoting academic self-efficacy: An intervention strategy to enhance positive outcomes among early adolescents

Abstract

This research presents findings of a brief intervention study designed to promote academic self-efficacy and academic motivation among early adolescent students recruited from a low to middle socio-economic status school in Turkey. The intervention consisted of social-cognitive strategies adapted from self-efficacy literature, including self-evaluation and verbalization, modeling, imaginal experience, effort feedback, social persuasion, and coping strategies. The effectiveness of the intervention was tested using a pretest-posttest control design among 157 students (82 boys, 75 girls; Mage = 13.17, SD = .99). Students completed questionnaires including demographic information, academic self-concepts (only in pretests), academic self-efficacy and motivation 7 weeks apart before and after the intervention. The effectiveness of the intervention was tested with 2 (time: pretest/posttest) X 2 (group: control/experimental) X 2 (gender: boy/girl) mixed-design ANOVA tests. While girls did not benefit from the intervention, boys in the intervention group, but not in the control group, displayed increases in most of the positive outcomes over time. Practical implications highlighting the need to consider the role of gender and socio-cultural differences in the implementation of motivational strategies among early adolescents are discussed.