The relation between self–efficacy, self–evaluation and academic achievement in economics of standard 8 students in QwaQwa

Abstract

The aims of this study were: * to determine the relationship between self-efficacy, self-evaluation and academic achievement in Economics of Std. 8 students by means of a review of the literature; * to empirically determine the relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement; and * to empirically determine the relationship between self-evaluation and academic achievement. From the review of the literature it was concluded that there is a relationship between self-efficacy, self-evaluation and academic achievement. Students who hold a high sense of self-efficacy for learning participate more eagerly in their learning tasks, persist longer and achieve higher levels of performance than those who doubt their capabilities. Self-efficacious students intensify their efforts when performance in their learning tasks falls short of their goals and experience little in the way of stress reactions in taxing situations, while inefficacious students lower their aspirations, suffer much anxiety and dwell on their personal inadequacies. Self-evaluation creates beliefs about students' capabilities. As students work on their learning tasks, they evaluate their progress and form certain beliefs about their capabilities. Positive self-evaluation of one's progress towards a learning goal or successes heighten self-efficacy and motivation, whereas negative self-evaluation create negative beliefs about one's own capabilities. With the empirical study though: * no relationship between respectively self-efficacy and academic achievement in Economics of Std. 8 students; and * between self-evaluation and academic achievement in Economics of Std. 8 students could be established.