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Self-efficacy and academic success among diverse first-generation college students: The mediating role of self-regulation

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Abstract

This study examines whether self-efficacy predicted academic success (via self-regulation) for first-generation and continuing-generation college students (Model 1) and among various racial/ethnic groups (Model 2). The 3,316 ethnically diverse incoming freshmen from a large, urban, public university (53% first-generation) participated in this study (43% Latinx, 24% Asian American, 23% White, and 10% Black). Participants’ ages ranged from 16 to 23 (M = 17.97, SD = 0.41). Prior to matriculation, participants completed the online institutional survey, including items exploring self-efficacy and self-regulation. This study distinguishes between emotional and behavioral aspects of self-regulation. To assess academic success outcomes, first-semester grade point averages and first-to-second year retention rates were collected from institutional data. Significant direct and indirect paths varied by generational status as well as race/ethnicity. Two types of self-regulation—emotional and behavioral regulation—had divergent effects. Increased behavioral regulation but decreased emotional regulation enhanced academic success. Findings highlight that differentiated interventions should be provided to meet diverse needs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jinyoung Koh

  2. Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Susan P. Farruggia

  3. Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Programs, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Lindsey T. Back

  4. Department of Education, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea

    Cheon-woo Han

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  1. Jinyoung Koh
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Correspondence to Jinyoung Koh.

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We gratefully acknowledge grant funding from an anonymous foundation. We also would like to thank Julienne A. Palbusa for data collection and preliminary analysis and Tom P. Moss for providing support for this project. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose. We cannot make our data available to other researchers because they are student records and cannot be shared externally. However, we are able to make our measures and analytical methods available to other researchers. More detailed information on the measures and data analysis are addressed in the Method section of the manuscript (see pages 7–10). The procedure for this study was reviewed and approved by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institutional Review Board (IRB-approved protocol #2012-118).

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Koh, J., Farruggia, S.P., Back, L.T. et al. Self-efficacy and academic success among diverse first-generation college students: The mediating role of self-regulation. Soc Psychol Educ 25, 1071–1092 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09713-7

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