Research self-efficacy among students: Role of metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, research anxiety, and attitude towards research

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the role of metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, research anxiety, and attitude towards research in research self-efficacy among students at university currently conducting research as part of their degree requirement. The role of perceived supervisors satisfaction from research and intensity of reading as moderators was also analyzed. Research Self-Efficacy Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013), Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002), Research Anxiety Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013), and Attitude towards Research Scale (Rezaei & Zamani-Miandashti, 2013) were used to collect data from purposively drawn sample of 300 university students who were conducting research as part of their degree requirement. Regression analysis revealed metacognitive awareness of reading strategies to be the strongest predictor of research self-efficacy, with research anxiety and attitude towards research being mediators. Further analysis revealed supervisors satisfaction for research anxiety and intensity of reading for metacognitive awareness of reading strategies to be significant moderators in effecting research self-efficacy. The study findings have been discussed in detail, alongside the implications of the study as well as suggestions for further research in the area.