Social Modeling and Academic Self-Efficacy: The Moderating

¶ … social modeling and academic self-Efficacy: The moderating role of academic motivation.

Within the learning environment, the student is required to engage in variant levels of personal responsibility to ensure success. Academic self-efficacy consequently is an important consideration for the improvement of student performance at multiple levels. This study considers the relationship between social modeling and academic self-efficacy. This relationship is moderated by academic motivation. Using an experimental design a sample of 100 undergraduate students were exposed to the treatment. The data were collected using questionnaires using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES). It is anticipated that the students who received the treatment will demonstrate significantly higher levels of self-efficacy. Additionally, students who were intrinsically motivated demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-efficacy. The learning experience therefore requires an understanding of what is occurring within the mind of the student. Personal factors are critical to improving overall student performance.

The present study aims to study the relationship between academic motivation and academic self-efficacy, and how both can be affected by social modeling experiences. More specifically, we will be looking at whether an individual can be categorized as intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated and whether this categorization has an effect on how well the "treatment" (social modeling) works to improve academic self-efficacy. A sample of approximately 100 undergraduates will be exposed to one of three experimental conditions, two different types of social modeling and one control. Participants will complete questionnaires to assess their level of academic motivation and type of motivation (using the Academic Motivation Scale) as well as their level of academic self-efficacy (using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale). The two modeling situations that are not controls correspond to the two types of motivation orientation, one being tailored to appeal to those with intrinsic motivation and one tailored to appeal to those with extrinsic motivation. These findings will show an enhanced improvement in self-efficacy when the social modeling situation aligns with the student's motivation orientation. This can be used by educators to prepare curricula and programs to improve student's academic self-confidence. Effect of Social Modeling and Motivational Orientation on Self-efficacy:

Implications for Education

Education can be said to be the foundation of our society, as it molds children and adolescents for life after school, and provides them with the necessary skills and tools to survive in that life. Knowing more about the psychology influencing how students learn could improve our education system by giving us the tools to change curricula and policies to facilitate better and faster learning. It might help us to understand both under- and over-achievers so that we may better serve their specific needs, in addition to an overall better understanding of learning. As an important part of our society as a whole, education deserves much more scrutiny than we afford it, particularly in the realm of educational psychology.