The influence of self-efficacy on reading achievement of General Educational Development (GED) and high school graduates enrolled in developmental reading skills courses in an urban community college system

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of self-efficacy on the performance of General Educational Development (GED) and high school graduates enrolled in developmental reading skills courses. The sample for the study consisted of 100 high school and 31 GED graduates enrolled in developmental reading courses in a midwestern community college system during the fall semester. College placement scores on the COMPASS Reading Test, reading self-efficacy ratings and final course grades were variables used in this study. A demographic questionnaire was used to collect data on age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, academic background, education goal and socioeconomic factors. Byrd, McClellan, and Unsworth's Self-efficacy Inventory (2003) was used to obtain self-efficacy ratings. Data were analyzed using chi-square, t tests and multiple regression techniques. The results of this study indicated that there were no significant differences in the reading self-efficacy and final grades of GED and high school graduates in a developmental reading skills course. The results also indicated that self-efficacy had an effect on final grades that went beyond the COMPASS Reading placement test scores. Extending this study to look at subsequent performance of students in later semesters may provide additional empirical evidence to support the use of noncognitive variables in the admissions and placement processes.