| Hierarchical simultaneous (parallel) growth process models were used to examine growth trajectories for self-efficacy and mathematics proficiency, as well as the relation between these trajectories across the adolescent years. Moreover, the relations between gender and growth in both mathematics proficiency and self-efficacy were examined. Longitudinal data collected at eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 were analyzed in this study.;At eighth grade, mathematics proficiency was not significantly correlated with self-efficacy. However, there was a significant negative correlation between initial mathematics proficiency and self-efficacy growth rate. Initial self-efficacy was not related to students' mathematics proficiency growth rate. Finally, there was a significant positive association between mathematics and self-efficacy growth rates.;Eighth-grade baseline scores were higher for males than for females on both constructs; however, both self-efficacy and mathematics proficiency increased similarly for males and females as students progressed from eighth grade to twelfth grade. Moreover, there was a significant negative relationship between the intercept and slope estimates for mathematics proficiency, indicating that the growth trajectories were steeper for students with lower eighth grade mathematics proficiency. In contrast, self-efficacy at eighth grade was not related to its growth rate. |
