Self-Efficacy Throughout Higher Education: A Latent Growth Analysis

Abstract

As students progress through university, they are simultaneously preparing for their professional lives alongside their academic learning. The transition from university studies to the labour market is a process that begins in education and continues after graduation until graduates have adapted to their working roles. Preparing to work requires that students conclude their studies and face several challenges posed by job searching and adaptation to the role of a worker. Previous research indicates that self-efficacy may contribute to success in academic performance and positive work-related outcomes after graduation. Using a three-wave longitudinal design, this study explores the academic and transition-to-work self-efficacy developmental trajectories of university students. Multivariate latent growth analysis was conducted on two cohorts of 204 and 261 undergraduates, respectively. The results indicate that academic and transition-to-work self-efficacy increased over time in both cohorts. Additionally, initial academic self-efficacy and its change positively predicted the initial transition-to-work self-efficacy and its change, respectively. This study contributes to the understanding of the interconnectedness between academic and transition-to-work self-efficacy trajectories. Implications for practice, limitations and future research are also discussed.