| Self-Efficacy beliefs have powerful effects on student achievement and Bandura (1997) asserts that these beliefs have four main experiential sources: mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological states. In this study I tested how well a recently-developed theoretically-derived measure of four sources of self-efficacy operated in a Taiwanese context. Students' mathematics self-efficacy was measured in two forms -- mathematics grades and mathematics skills self-efficacy. The effects of the sources on self-efficacy on the two forms of efficacy beliefs were investigated. I also examined whether the sources of mathematics self-efficacy varied across genders and mathematics ability levels. Finally, I compared the predictive powers of self-efficacy, self-concept, prior achievement, and other culture-related motivation constructs for mathematics achievement.;Results indicated that, for the sources of self-efficacy, only three factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis. However, results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that a model of four sources better fit the Taiwanese sample. The four sources of self-efficacy overlapped to a considerable degree in the Taiwanese sample. The degree and pattern of prediction of self-efficacy differed by the form of mathematics self-efficacy, gender, and ability level. Contrary to previous research, prior achievement was the most powerful predictor of mathematics achievement and, for eighth-grade students, self-concept was more predictive of mathematics achievement than self-efficacy. Results were discussed in terms of the utility of the measures and the academic and cultural environment of Taiwan.;Asian students have outperformed American students in mathematics for years. Taiwanese students scored highest among 60 countries in mathematics at the eighth-grade level on an international test, according the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. There was a substantial gap between Taiwanese and American students. This study may help shed some light upon the differences in mathematics performance between American and Asian students.;KEYWORDS: motivation, self-efficacy, sources of self-efficacy, achievement, Taiwanese students. |
