The influence of self-efficacy and the value system on academic performance

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between self-efficacy, the value system, and academic performance in a sample of 200 students enrolled in psychology programmes. The research was developed within the framework of social cognitive theory and motivational approaches to personal and work values, using a cross-sectional correlational design with predictive aims. Self-efficacy was assessed through the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, while the value system was investigated using a value assessment questionnaire adapted from Super’s model. Academic performance was operationalized through self-reported academic grades on a 6-to-10 scale. The results showed statistically significant differences in academic performance according to self-efficacy level, H(4) = 126.98, p < .001, with higher self-efficacy being associated with higher academic outcomes. Spearman correlations indicated significant associations between academic performance and intellectual stimulation, security, independence, and relations with superiors, while lifestyle showed a weak negative association. Before the regression analysis, intellectual stimulation and security were checked because they showed an extremely high empirical overlap in the available aggregate database, rho = .996; therefore, they were not entered simultaneously in the final regression model. Hierarchical regression showed that self-efficacy explained 62.7% of the variance in academic performance. After adding the selected value dimensions, the final model explained 66.3% of the variance, and the incremental contribution of values was statistically significant, ΔR² = .035, p < .001. The findings support the central role of self-efficacy and the selective relevance of professional values for psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving academic adaptation and performance. Because internal consistency coefficients could not be recalculated from aggregate scores, this issue is explicitly acknowledged as a methodological limitation.