Validation of the Academic Behavioural Confidence Scale with Italian Teacher Education Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7346/sird-012023-p96Keywords:
Academic Behavioural Confidence; Self-efficacy; Higher Education; Validation; CultureAbstract
Academic behavioural confidence constitutes a variant of self-efficacy and refers to students’ beliefs and expectations about their capability of performing those behaviours required to successfully learn and achieve at university (Sander & Sanders, 2009; Putwain & Sander, 2016). This construct is associated with several positive student outcomes, such as effective academic coping strategies or academic achievement. Moreover, it constitutes one of the dimensions in which universities could intervene to reduce academic dropout and increase academic performance. The aim of the study was to validate the Academic Behavioural Confidence (ABC) scale developed by Sander and Sanders (2003, 2006, 2009), with a sample of Italian undergraduates. Participants were 1141 students enrolled in the Master’s Degree Programme in Teacher Education. Based on the available literature, several models were tested. Factor analyses showed, not consistently with the original one, a three-factor structure. The factors (“Grades-Studying”, “Verbalizing”, and “Attendance”) were significantly associated with academic performance and reasons for not being on track with exams. Discrepancies between the solution found and the original factorial model are discussed from a theoretical and cultural perspective.
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