Role of self-efficacy in improving the lives of youth in public housing

Abstract

Purpose of Study: Having a sense of hope and aspirations for the future are often conceptualized as components of resilience for youth in urban environments. However, less is known about the factors that may influence how young people develop their future aspirations, and how those aspirations may impact their actions in achieving their goals. This study is a conceptual paper to identify the factors that influence the youth future aspirations and how self-efficacy acts as a moderator. Self-efficacy being defined by Albert Bandura as one's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. Through preliminary studies conducted by informal interviews with youth in four (4) PPR in Kuala Lumpur it was found that the youths in the PPR are divided into 3 segments firstly the illiterate youth, secondly literate youth with a few years of formal schooling and third group of youth who completed their formal schooling. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a theoretical framework we hope to identify factors that contribute towards the youth future aspirations. Methodology: In this paper, literature relating to the development and characteristics of youth in public housing, self-efficacy, and factors that influence the youth future aspirations are reviewed to ascertain if any relationship exists between them. Results: A conceptual framework is developed to propose the relationship between success factors as the independent variables and youth future aspirations as the dependent variable, with self-efficacy as the moderator. This study identified success factors that could influence the future aspirations of youth in public housing in Malaysia. We propose a model for developing youths’ future aspirations.