Psychological variables and their impact on academic achievement in higher education

ABSTRACT Studies emphasize the role of psychological variables as favoring knowledge acquisition and transversal competencies in Higher Education, as well as students’ performance and academic success. Among the psychological variables, self-efficacy perception, motivation to learn and learning strategies stand out. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between these variables and their impact on academic success, as assessed by the performance coefficient. The study enrolled 521 students of both sexes, of different year of study, in the three areas of knowledge. Data indicate a correlation between the studied psychological variables, which explained about 11% of the variation in academic performance, with fluctuations in this percentage explained according to the scientific area of the courses. Strong correlations were observed between self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation with academic performance, highlighting the need for new investigations about learning strategies.