The Relationship of Academic Self-efficacy, Goal Orientation, and Personal Goal Setting among High School Students

Abstract

Social-cognitive career theory (SCCT, Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) indicates that the constructs of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal setting represent personal agency in the career domain, mediate experiences and personal traits, and drive career-related behaviors. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among high school students' academic self-efficacy, goal orientation (performance and mastery goals), and their personal goal setting such as career aspirations and university choices. A total of 63 high school students participated in the quantitative study and four college mentors who worked with these students participated in the one-hour length interviews. Quantitative results showed that self-efficacy and goal orientation are significantly related and both of them are associated with students' personal goal setting. Qualitative results showed that parents and siblings influence students' self-efficacy as well as their goal setting. Limitations and implications are discussed as well.