A Research of Perceived Academic Self-efficacy of Students Majoring in Environment Design

Abstract

A total of 397 students majoring in environment design were investigated by questionnaire method to study their perceived academic self-efficacy. The academic self-efficacy scale compiled by Liang Yusong (2000) by referring to the research conducted by Pintrch and DeGroot was adopted. The reliability and validity of the scale was 0.834, and the Alpha coefficient was between 0.8 and 0.9, indicating that the reliability is acceptable. The research results showed that the overall academic self-efficacy of students majoring in environment design is on the high side, which is significantly correlated with serving as class leader and the grade; no significant difference was found in gender, student origin and being the only child. The investigation of perceived academic self-efficacy is helpful to predict the good learning behavior of students majoring in environment design. Self-efficacy is a concept proposed by Bandura, an American psychologist, which represents individuals' self-confident degree in the ability to successfully complete an activity. It can be divided into general self-efficacy, domain self-efficacy and specific task self-efficacy. Thereinto, general self-efficacy refers to individuals' overall self-confidence in coping with different environment challenges or facing new things. Some experts have interpreted self-efficacy as the subjective judgment made by people on whether they can successfully obtain a certain achievement or execute a behavior. General self-efficacy can affect the thinking model, thereby affecting the acquisition and performance of behaviors. For example, people with high perceived self-efficacy have high self-expectations and are able to optimistically meet opportunities and challenges, they will not exaggerate difficulties or give up on themselves, they keep calm when problems come up and can allow full play to their wisdom and skills; while people with low perceived self-efficacy can easily become sentimental, panic and bashful , which can interfere with the execution of knowledge and skills. In order to learn the level of general self-efficacy of students majoring in environment design, at different grades and of different genders, to formulate targeted training and educational methods, and to promote the healthy growth of college students, this research investigated college students by using academic self-efficacy scale, which is reported as follows. 1.Research Hypotheses The overall level of academic self-efficacy of students majoring in environment design is high, and differences were found in gender, major, grade, student origin, whether only child or not and whether serve as class leader or not.