The relationship between self-efficacy, goal-setting and achievement motivation among final year students at a selected university in the Western Cape Province

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy, goal-setting and achievement motivation among students in their final year at a selected university in the Western Cape Province. The sample consisted of 128 final year students who were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaires comprise a section on the biographical information of the participants as well as sections containing the, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Achievement Motivation Scale and a Goal Setting Questionnaire. Informed consent was obtained from the various participants and anonymity of participation and confidentiality were ensured. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The Statistical analyses techniques employed included Item Analysis, Pearson’s Correlation test, Factor Analysis and a Multiple Regression Analysis. The results of the study indicate there is a statistically significant relationship between selfefficacy and goal-setting (Hypothesis 1), self-efficacy and achievement motivation (Hypothesis 2), achievement motivation and goal-setting among students in their final year of study (Hypothesis 3). Furthermore the results indicated that self-efficacy and goal-setting are significant predictors of achievement motivation (Hypothesis 4). These findings indicate that the stronger an individual’s belief in their perceived self-efficacy, the more likely they are to set challenging goals for themselves which may in turn result in a stronger commitment to attaining those goals. In addition, students who are assured in their ability to achieve success in their studies are most likely to possess the need to achieve excellence. Furthermore, results suggest that students who possess the need to achieve excellence or demonstrate higher levels of achievement motivation have the tendency to set more challenging goals than those with lower levels of achievement motivation.