The relationship between academic self-efficacy as a determinant of career aspiration and academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Nairobi county, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract The study purpose to investigate how academic self-efficacy was related to academic performance of secondary schools students. The students’ performance plays a significant role in producing the finest quality graduates who will become great leaders and source of manpower for the country. Poor academic performance not only limits the opportunities available to a person but lead to serious psychological, social and economic outcomes. In spite of this, a decline in academic performance has been registered in KCSE exams in secondary school in Nairobi County, Kenya hence the need to investigate whether academic self-efficacy which is a psychological factor is associated with academic performance. This study was guided by Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura (1986). The study employed correlational research design. Questionnaires were administered to provide quantitative and qualitative data using a sample of 397 form four students from 12 public secondary schools in Nairobi County. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling procedures were used in the selection of the locale, schools and respondents for this study. The data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, guided by the study objective. Product Moment Correlation Coefficient test statistic was used to establish the relationship between academic selfefficacy and academic performance. The level of significance in rejecting the null hypothesis was at p= ≤ .05. The study found a significant and positive relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and academic performance (r (367) = 0.160, P< 0.05). A major implication and recommendation of the study was that all stakeholders in education should work together in enhancing schools and homes environments for fostering the development of academic self-efficacy. Various strategies including exposing the students to various sources of self- efficacy and counseling approaches should be employed for initiating and increasing students’ academic self-efficacy. Keywords: academic self-efficacy, enactivemastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasions, physiologicalstates