Indicator: Self-efficacy Breadcrumb Home Indicators Self-efficacy Definition Students believe in their ability to achieve an outcome or reach a goal. Recommended Metric(s) K–12: Percentage of students reporting a high level of self-efficacy on surveysExample InstrumentsCreative Self-Efficacy scaleNot finding an instrument that suits your needs? Visit EdInstruments.org for more measurement tools.Postsecondary and workforce: Percentage of individuals reporting a high level of self-efficacy on surveys Example InstrumentsThe New General Self-Efficacy ScaleAscend Survey (Self-Efficacy Scale)Not finding an instrument that suits your needs? Visit EdInstruments.org for more measurement tools. Type(s) of Data Needed Surveys Why it matters Self-efficacy is a strong predictor of college grade point average (GPA) and persistence, with additional predictive power beyond socioeconomic status and prior achievement.1 Students who report higher self-efficacy earn higher GPAs and score higher on math and English language arts tests.2, 3 Higher levels of self-efficacy in math—students’ belief in their capacity to successfully execute math-related tasks—have also been linked to the likelihood of attending college and choosing a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field.4, 5 Self-efficacy tends to decline over time for students of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, but economically disadvantaged students consistently report lower rates of self-efficacy than more economically advantaged students, as do students of color compared to White students.6 Like other social-emotional skills, self-efficacy can be fostered in classrooms and through interventions. What to know about measurement As indicated above, several survey tools exist to measure this indicator and related constructs. We have identified and suggested tools with an evidence base; however, other instruments may also be appropriate to measure this indicator, though the use of different instruments across contexts would reduce comparability of this indicator. Please see information on the self-management indicator for additional considerations regarding the measurement of social-emotional skills. E-W Case Studies Image Elevating Social-Emotional Learning in CORE Districts The CORE Districts—a collaborative of eight school districts in California—developed, validated, and included measures of students’ social-emotional skills in its School Quality Improvement System. View Case Study Source frameworks This indicator appeared in five source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our proposed definition and measure align with the CORE Districts definition of self-efficacy. Broadly, we have opted to align with—and build on—CORE Districts SEL indicators, given the evidence base for their predictive power and instrumentation. References 1Robbins, S. B., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., & Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 120(2), 261–288. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.2.261 2Cikrikci, O. (2017). The effect of self-efficacy on student achievement. The Factors Effecting Student Achievement. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56083-0_63Claro, S., & Loeb, S. (2019). Self-management skills and student achievement gains: Evidence from California’s CORE districts. Policy Analysis for California Education, Stanford University. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED600478 4Lin, L., Lee, T., & Anderson Snyder, L. (2018). Math self-efficacy and STEM intentions: a person-centered approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.020335Parker, P. D., Marsh, H. W., Ciarrochi, J., Marshall, S., & Abdulijabbar, A. S. (2014). Juxtaposing math self-efficacy and self-concept as predictors of long-term achievement outcomes. Educational Psychology, 34(1), 29-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2013.7973396West, M. R., Buckley, K., Bartolino Krachman, S., & Bookman, N. (2018). Development and implementation of student social-emotional surveys in the CORE Districts. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 55, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2017.06.001