TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimizing science self-efficacy
T2 - a multilevel examination of the moderating effects of anxiety on the relationship between self-efficacy and achievement in science
AU - Burns, Emma C.
AU - Martin, Andrew J.
AU - Kennett, Roger K.
AU - Pearson, Joel
AU - Munro-Smith, Vera
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Extant research has demonstrated that anxiety is negatively associated with self-efficacy, especially in science. However, social cognitive theory also posits that anxiety and self-efficacy are likely to dynamically interact (i.e., moderate), such that a student high in anxiety may not garner the benefits of high self-efficacy. It has been suggested that classrooms may also be characterized in terms of this problematic dynamic, such that class-average anxiety may impede potentially positive effects of class-average self-efficacy. Despite this, very little work has focused on the extent to which anxiety thwarts the positive effects of self-efficacy at either the student- or classroom-level, and none has done so among secondary school students or in science specifically. Thus, the present study examines the main effects of science anxiety and self-efficacy on science achievement, as well as the moderating effects of science anxiety on the relationship between science self-efficacy and achievement, at both the student- and classroom-level. With a sample of N = 1,075 high school students clustered in N = 99 science classrooms, doubly latent multilevel structural equation modelling demonstrated that science self-efficacy positively predicted science achievement at both student- and classroom-levels. Also, at the student-level (but not the classroom-level), science anxiety negatively moderated the effects of science self-efficacy on science achievement, such that students high in self-efficacy with higher anxiety scored lower in science achievement than those with lower anxiety. Interestingly, however, student-level (but not classroom-level) findings also suggested a potentially arousing role of anxiety for students low in self-efficacy. These findings have theoretical implications and suggest that a dual intervention approach (i.e., concurrently promoting science self-efficacy and reducing science anxiety) at student-level and interventions targeting self-efficacy at the classroom-level may be warranted to optimize science achievement.
AB - Extant research has demonstrated that anxiety is negatively associated with self-efficacy, especially in science. However, social cognitive theory also posits that anxiety and self-efficacy are likely to dynamically interact (i.e., moderate), such that a student high in anxiety may not garner the benefits of high self-efficacy. It has been suggested that classrooms may also be characterized in terms of this problematic dynamic, such that class-average anxiety may impede potentially positive effects of class-average self-efficacy. Despite this, very little work has focused on the extent to which anxiety thwarts the positive effects of self-efficacy at either the student- or classroom-level, and none has done so among secondary school students or in science specifically. Thus, the present study examines the main effects of science anxiety and self-efficacy on science achievement, as well as the moderating effects of science anxiety on the relationship between science self-efficacy and achievement, at both the student- and classroom-level. With a sample of N = 1,075 high school students clustered in N = 99 science classrooms, doubly latent multilevel structural equation modelling demonstrated that science self-efficacy positively predicted science achievement at both student- and classroom-levels. Also, at the student-level (but not the classroom-level), science anxiety negatively moderated the effects of science self-efficacy on science achievement, such that students high in self-efficacy with higher anxiety scored lower in science achievement than those with lower anxiety. Interestingly, however, student-level (but not classroom-level) findings also suggested a potentially arousing role of anxiety for students low in self-efficacy. These findings have theoretical implications and suggest that a dual intervention approach (i.e., concurrently promoting science self-efficacy and reducing science anxiety) at student-level and interventions targeting self-efficacy at the classroom-level may be warranted to optimize science achievement.
KW - science
KW - self-efficacy
KW - anxiety
KW - social cognitive theory
KW - achievement
KW - multilevel modelling
KW - doubly latent
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099511013&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP170100253
U2 - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101937
DO - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101937
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099511013
VL - 64
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Contemporary Educational Psychology
JF - Contemporary Educational Psychology
SN - 0361-476X
M1 - 101937
ER -