Primary school students' profiles of self-regulatory efficacy sources—Transitions and association with self-regulatory efficacy

This study investigated stability and changes in primary school students' (N = 345) profiles of self-regulatory efficacy sources including mastery and vicarious experience, social persuasion, and psychological and emotional arousal within one school year, and how profile memberships associate with gender, support for learning, and self-regulatory efficacy. Latent profile and transition analyses identified four profiles among students: Highly positive, Average, Stressed, and Highly positive but stressed. All profiles showed stability during the school year, yet some students transitioned into more maladaptive profiles. Gender was significantly associated with some profile memberships and transitions, while support for learning was not. Students who remained Highly positive showed higher self-regulatory efficacy, while students remaining in profiles showing stress reported lower levels of self-regulatory efficacy. Additionally, transitioning to a more maladaptive profile within the school year was related to lower self-regulatory efficacy.

Educational relevance and implications statement

This study identified four different profiles among primary school students based on their self-regulatory efficacy sources: Highly positive, Average, Stressed, and Highly positive but stressed. Most students showed a positive combination of self-regulatory efficacy sources, but some students' profiles were more maladaptive, characterized by relatively high levels of stress. While most of the students remained in their initial profile during the school year, some transitions into maladaptive profiles did occur. These stabilities and transitions, in general, predicted students' self-regulatory efficacy, so that students showing more positive and stable profiles reported higher self-regulatory efficacy, whereas students belonging or transitioning to more stressed profiles reported lower self-regulatory efficacy. These findings suggest that experiencing stress may be harmful for student's self-efficacy, even when they otherwise have positive bases (that is, sources) for self-efficacy.