Self-efficacy and academic results at the primary school: Development and validation of a scale

Résumé 0

The two studies presented in this article concern the development and validation of a scale to measure self-efficacy in primary school children, both general and domain-specific in mathematics and French literacy. The results of exploratory factor analysis indicate a three-dimensional structure clearly distinguishing between general self-efficacy as a learner, self-efficacy in learning mathematics, and self-efficacy in learning French. Structural modeling points to a four-factor structure with one second-order factor and three first-order factors. The prognostic validity of these dimensions of self-efficacy is further confirmed by correlations between the dimensions (general, mathematics, and French literacy) and the grades obtained by students in nationwide examinations in mathematics and French literacy. However, results show that it is not general self-efficacy that best explains the overall results, but self-efficacy in French. We suggest that the importance given to French literacy in French primary education may explain the preeminent influence of academic results in French literacy on the evaluation of self-efficacy by primary school children.