Self-efficacy, effort, and cognition of college students with learning disabilities

In the United States, 11.3 percent of undergraduate students have been classified with learning disabilities (Horn & Nevil, 2006). Multiple variables have been shown to influence academic success, including effort, self-efficacy, and cognition, but no study has been conducted on the relative contribution of each factor to success in students with learning disabilities in college. This dissertation examined effort, self-efficacy, and cognition in relation to academic success. Participants were undergraduates (N = 27) at a private northeastern university who were receiving accommodations from the university's Academic Support Center for already identified specific learning disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 108--445, § 20, 118 Stat. 2647, 2004). Participants were evaluated on multiple measures to assess effort (Word Memory Test {WMT}; (Green, Allen, & Astner, 1996), self-efficacy (The College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale {CASES}; Owen & Froman, 1988), and cognitive ability (Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001). A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine if these measures, separately or in combination, would predict participants' undergraduate Grade Point Average. It was hypothesized that at least one of the three predictor variables (i.e., effort, efficacy, and cognitive ability) would emerge as a strong predictor of GPA; however, the results of the regression analysis did not support this hypothesis, (Rsquare=0.139, F {3, 23} = 1.242, p=0.317). However, 100 percent of participants reported that their academic accommodations were very helpful in their postsecondary success (18.2% of participants gave a rating of 5; 45.5% gave a rating of 6, and 36.4% gave a rating of 7 on a scale of 1--7). Implications of the findings are discussed.