The Role of Academic Self-Efficacy in Reducing Behavioral Problems among School-Aged Children

Abstract

Background: An academic self-efficacy (a belief that one is capable of succeeding in academic tasks) is an important determinant of psychological and behavioral adaptation process in students. Behavioral issues in children such as internalization (e.g., withdrawal, depression) and externalization (e.g., aggression, defiance) commonly arise at early adolescence stage and will affect the academic performance and social development of a child. It is very essential to understand the relation between academic self-efficacy and behavioral issues towards identifying specific interventions within schools. Aim: This paper was designed to explore how academic self-efficacy can contribute towards attenuating internalizing and  externalizing behavior problems of school going children. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study design where 194 school children between 12-15 years (Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan) were included in the study. The assessing instrument consisted of three established scales, i.e., Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, and the Functional Behavior Assessment Profiler. The relations between academic self-efficacy and behavioral problems were performed on the basis of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression studies. Results: Descriptive findings showed that the internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were at a high level and the academic self-efficacy was moderate. Correlational analysis provided significant negative correlations between academic self-efficacy with internalizing (r = -0.19, p < .01) and externalizing behavior problems (r = -0.15, p <.05). The outcome of regression analyses indicated that academic self-efficacy was a strong predictor of reduced levels of the two behavior domains. Conclusion: Academic self-efficacy also seems to be protective given the aspect of behavior problems in school-going children. Self-efficacy interventions are likely to curb behavior maladjustment.

Keywords: Self-Efficacy, Behavioral Problems, Internalizing Behavior, Externalizing Behavior, Adolescents, Temperament, Regression Analysis