The Importance Of Academic Self-Motivity

learning and to master academic activities determine their level of motivation and academic accomplishments (Bandura, 1993). Students are believed to act if their acts boost feelings of competence, control and effectiveness (Bandura, 1997).

Self-efficacy is task-specific; that is, self-efficacy beliefs are specific to certain tasks and activities in certain situations and contexts (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997; Jackson, 2002). That is to say, people do not have the same level of overall sense of self-efficacy; rather, a person’s level of self-efficacy beliefs depends on the nature of the task and the context in which that task is performed. This is the reason why self-efficacy has been studied extensively, within a variety of specific areas such

Academic self-efficacy is influenced by cognitive interpretations of success and failure in tasks, but also influences effort, persistence and the cognitive resources that are used in seeking to interact with the academic context. Motivation and efficacy are enhanced when learning progress and comprehension are perceived. Strategies may influence self-efficacy and motivation, and students who believe that a new strategy can improve their performance may keep their initial motivation even if they perceive little progress if the new strategy gives a sense of control over achievement outcomes. In paper I, students who participated in relationships with faculty and student activities increased their perceptions of informal opportunities to influence their study conditions and sense of control, which enhanced their self-efficacy. High self-efficacy perceptions are also believed to make individuals engage in tasks that develop their skills and capabilities, while low-efficacy perceptions make students choose tasks that will not need development of new skills (Schunk, 1991). Pajares (1996) found that the self-efficacy of gifted students was based on their perceptions of their cognitive ability. In another study, Zimmerman and Kitsantas (2005) suggest that high self-efficacy students attribute more responsibility to learners than to teachers and that perceived responsibility was an important motive for academic achievement. In line with these findings, students who, in paper I, based their self-efficacy on positive self perceptions as excellent students received their efficacy information from their general cognitive ability. They emphasized their own responsibility and their strategy was to study alone without asking for help from peers or teachers. The motive for mastering academic material in many situations is that the