Academic Self-Efficacy, Study Skills and Academic Achievement: A Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

Educational achievement is crucial determinant of one’s future career opportunities and plays a critical role in the psycho-social development. Identifying the factors that influence academic achievement is essential for developing effective interventions and strategies to enhance students' learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate the serial mediation role of study skills (systematic and organized study, and effective homework and exam preparation) in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. A group of 92 secondary school students completed the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale as well as two sub-scales from the Study Skills Scale: systematic and organized study, and effective homework completion and exam preparation. The findings of the study revealed positive correlations among all variables. Furthermore, the serial mediation analysis demonstrated that the skills of systematic and organized study, and effective homework and exam preparation serially mediated the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. These results suggest that interventions, implementations, and policies that aim to strengthen students’ perception of academic self-efficacy and improve their study skills can contribute to the academic achievement and other student outcomes.