A Self-Efficacy Intervention for Poorly Performing Students

Abstract

Based on a previous study with engineering students, academic self-efficacy and time management emerged as important predictors of academic performance. In this study an intervention was designed for a sample of poorly performing engineering students who had failed one or more course. The intervention consisted of two video films that portrayed student models overcoming similar challenges. One film focused on strategies of academic selfefficacy and the other on time management. Their grades at the end of the semester were compared with their prior performance. A paired samples t test revealed a significant positive effect of the intervention on academic performance of participants. The findings are consistent with Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, where vicarious experience is proposed as one of the sources of self-efficacy.