Recent Innovations in Psychology

Recent Innovations in Psychology

Predicting Academic Motivation Based on Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Students: The Moderating Role of Marital Status

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sadegh Nasri 1
Mohammad Hossein Babazadeh 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Shahid Rajaee University, Tehran, Iran
2 MSC. Student in Counseling. Department of Educational Sciences, Shahid Rajaee University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/rip.2025.532228.1108
Abstract
The present study aimed to predict students' academic motivation based on self-efficacy and self-esteem, considering the moderating role of marital status. The research method was correlational, and the statistical population included students at the University of Mazandaran during the 2023-2024 academic year. A total of 323 students were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using Harter's Academic Motivation Scale (HAMS), the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventories (CSEI). The findings revealed that self-efficacy and self-esteem had a significant positive relationship with academic motivation (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis among single students showed that self-efficacy (β = 0.39) and self-esteem (β = 0.27) significantly predicted academic motivation. Similarly, among married students, self-efficacy (β = 0.42) and self-esteem (β = 0.31) significantly predicted academic motivation. A significant difference was observed between the multiple correlation coefficients of single and married students (P < 0.01). It appears that marital status can moderate the relationships between self-efficacy, self-esteem, and students' academic motivation. 
Keywords
academic motivation
self-efficacy
self-esteem

Subjects

References

  1. Abbasi, H. (2022). The effectiveness of critical thinking training on the self-esteem of sixth grade female elementary school students. Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, 9(15), 29-1 (In Persian).  URL: https://itt.cfu.ac.ir/article_2979.html
  2. Abdolrezapour, P., Jahanbakhsh Ganjeh, S., & Ghanbari, N. (2023). Self-efficacy and resilience as predictors of students’ academic motivation in online education. Plos one, 18(5), e0285984. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285984
  3. Afra, A., Senisal Bechari, Sh., Ban, M., Darari, F., & Shahrokhi, Sh. (2022). Investigating the relationship between self-efficacy and academic motivation of operating room students in Khuzestan province. Scientific and Research Bimonthly Journal of Educational Strategies in Medical Sciences, 14(6), 405- 412 (In Persian). URL: http://edcbmj.ir/article-1-2234-fa.html
  4. Alizadeh, Sh., Namazi, A., & Kouchakzadeh Talemi, S. (2015). A comparative study of self-esteem in nursing and midwifery students of Islamic Azad University of Rasht and its correlation with academic success. Nursing Education, 4 (4), 17-25 (In Persian).  URL: http://jne.ir/article-1-562-fa.html
  5. Almurumudhe, L. K. A., Mahdad, A., Johni, A. A., & Yousefi, Z. (2024). The mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between psychological capital, academic engagement, and academic procrastination with academic performance among students in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq. Iranian journal of educational sociology, 7(3), 1-9. URL: https://qijes.com/index.php/ijes/article/view/1254
  6. Bagheri, E., & Dana, A. (2021). The effect of mindfulness program on anxiety, self-efficacy and performance of athletes. Sports Psychology Studies, 10(36), 23-44 (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.22089/spsyj.2019.6590.1696
  7. Bahrani, M. (2009). Investigating the validity and reliability of the motivation scale. Psychological Studies, 5(1), 51-72 (In Persian).  URL: https://psychstudies.alzahra.ac.ir/article_1591.html
  8. Bakhshi Sureshjani, L., & Gholamzadeh, E. (2022). The mediating role of emotional safety in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and academic motivation. Educational Management Research, 14(53), 31-50 (In Persian). URL: https://sanad.iau.ir/fa/Article/1113045?FullText=FullText
  9. Bandura A. (2004). Health promotion by social cognitive means. Health education & behavior: the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education, 31(2), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198104263660
  10. Bedel, E. F. (2016). Exploring academic motivation, academic self-efficacy and attitudes toward teaching in pre-service early childhood education teachers. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(1), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v4i1.561
  11. Berdida D. J. E. (2023). Resilience and academic motivation's mediation effects in nursing students' academic stress and self-directed learning: A multicenter cross-sectional study. Nurse education in practice, 69, 103639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103639
  12. Brown, K. M., Hoye, R., & Nicholson, M. (2012). Self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social connectedness as mediators of the relationship between volunteering and well-being. Journal of social service research, 38(4), 468-483. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2012.687706
  13. Campos, P. D. S., & Madrigal, D. V. (2020). Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation of Students in a Catholic High School with Parents Working Abroad. Philippine Social Science Journal, 3(2), 117-118. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v3i2.256
  14. Coopersmith, S. (1981). Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventories (CSEI) [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t06456-000
  15. Deer, L. K., Gohn, K., & Kanaya, T. (2018). Anxiety and self-efficacy as sequential mediators in US college students’ career preparation. Education training, 60(2), 185-197  https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-07-2017-0096
  16. El Massah, S. S., & Fadly, D. (2017). Predictors of academic performance for finance students: Women at higher education in the UAE. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(7), 854-864. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-12-2015-0171
  17. Farmer, H., Xu, H., & Dupre, M. E. (2022). Self-efficacy. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging (pp. 4410-4413(. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_1092
  18. Fatemipanah, M. (2021). The relationship between self-esteem and academic motivation of students. Accounting and Management Perspectives, 5(66), 42-53 (In Persian). URL: https://www.jamv.ir/article_156376.html
  19. Harpaz, G., Vaizman, T., & Yaffe, Y. (2023). University students' academic grit and academic achievements predicted by subjective well-being, coping resources, and self-cultivation characteristics. Higher Education Quarterly, 78(1), 192-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12455
  20. Harter, S. (1981). A new self-report scale of intrinsic versus extrinsic orientation in the classroom: Motivational and informational components. Developmental Psychology, 17(3), 300–312. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.17.3.300
  21. Huang, H., Tu, L., & Zhang, X. (2024(Social support, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-management behaviors among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: a structural equation modeling analysis. BMC Public Health, 24, 3070. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20541-6
  22. Khazaei, S., Alipour, S., & Dadi, Z. (2024). Students' Internet Addiction, Academic Self-efficacy and Academic Engagement in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Recent Innovations in Psychology, 1(1), 76-89. https://doi.org/10.22034/rip.2024.191408
  23. Lee, P. C., & Mao, Z. (2016). The relation among self-efficacy, learning approaches, and academic performance: an exploratory study. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 16(3), 178-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2015.1136581
  24. Ma, Y. (2024). The impact of academic self-efficacy and academic motivation on Chinese EFL students’ academic burnout. Learning and Motivation, 85, 101959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.101959
  25. Mahdavi, P., Valibeygi, A., Moradi, M., & Sadeghi, S. (2023). Relationship Between Achievement Motivation, Mental Health and Academic Success in University Students. Community health equity research & policy, 43(3), 311–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272684X211025932
  26. Moghadari Kosha, M., Cheraghi, F., Mozaffari, H., Ameni, B., Moghadari Kosha, B., & Moghadasi, A. M. (2018). Investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies and academic achievement of students of the Faculty of Paramedical Sciences at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Bimonthly Scientific-Research Journal of Educational Strategies in Medical Sciences, 11(3), 45-52 (In Persian). URL: http://edcbmj.ir/article-1-1410-fa.html
  27. Moosivand, M., & Kaboli, M. (2021). Structural model of the relationship between online learning based on academic conscience and academic burnout: The mediating role of academic motivation. Bimonthly Journal of Cognitive Strategies in Learning, 10(18), 271-298 (In Persian). https://doi.org/10.22084/j.psychogy.2022.24446.2331
  28. Moradi, D., Karami, M., Ghanei Gheshlagh, R., Nemati, M., & Dehoun, F. (2018). Investigating the relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement in nursing students at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in 2018. Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Sciences, 4(2), 71-78 (In Persian).  URL: http://sjnmp.muk.ac.ir/article-1-175-fa.html
  29. Moyano, N., Quílez-Robres, A., & Cortés Pascual, A. (2020). Self-esteem and motivation for learning in academic achievement: The mediating role of reasoning and verbal fluidity. Sustainability, 12(14), 5768. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145768
  30. Nasir, M., & Iqbal, S. (2019). Academic Self Efficacy as a Predictor of Academic Achievement of Students in Pre Service Teacher Training Programs. Bulletin of Education and Research, 41(1), 33-42. URL: https://www.prdb.pk/article/academic-self-efficacy-as-a-predictor-of-academic-achievemen-2446
  31. Neyazi, A., Padhi, B. K., Ahmadi, M., Rangelova, V., Mohammadi, A. Q., Neyazi, M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2023). Depression and self-esteem among Afghan school-going adolescents under the Taliban Government: a cross-sectional study. Discover Psychology, 3(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-023-00087-1
  32. Olivier, E., Archambault, I., De Clercq, M., & Galand, B. (2019). Student self-efficacy, classroom engagement, and academic achievement: Comparing three theoretical frameworks. Journal of youth and adolescence, 48(2), 326-340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0952-0
  33. Pu, J., Hou, H., & Ma, R. (2017). Direct and indirect effects of self-efficacy on depression: The mediating role of dispositional optimism. Current Psychology, 36(3), 410-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9429-z
  34. Salari, A., Emami Sigaroudi, A., Zaer Sabet, F., Shakiba, M., Khojasteh, M., & Sharifi, M. (2018). Investigating the relationship between academic achievement and interest in the field of study in nursing students. Research in Medical Education, 10 (2), 68-75 (In Persian).  URL: http://rme.gums.ac.ir/article-1-426-fa.html
  35. Sherer, M., Maddux, J. E., Mercandante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S., Jacobs, B., & Rogers, R. W. (1982). Self-Efficacy Scale [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t01119-000
  36. Shokrkon, H., & Nisi, A. (1994). The effect of self-esteem on the performance of male and female high school students. Educational Sciences, 1(1), 11-27 (In Persian).  https://10.22055/edus.1994.16171
  37. Shoukat, R., Ismayil, I., Huang, Q., Oubibi, M., Younas, M., & Munir, R. (2024). A comparative analysis of blended learning and traditional instruction: Effects on academic motivation and learning outcomes. PloS one, 19(3), e0298220. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298220
  38. Vilppu, H., Laakkonen, E., Laine, A., Lähteenmäki, M., Metsäpelto, R. L., Mikkilä-Erdmann, M., & Warinowski, A. (2024). Learning strategies, self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement of first-year preservice teachers: a person-centred approach. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(2), 1161-1186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00729-x
  39. Woodruff, S. L., & Cashman, J. F. (1993). Task, domain, and general efficacy: A reexamination of the Self-efficacy Scale. Psychological Reports, 72(2), 423–432. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1993.72.2.423
Recent Innovations in Psychology

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 10 July 2025

  • Receive Date 22 June 2025
  • Revise Date 04 July 2025
  • Accept Date 08 July 2025
  • First Publish Date 10 July 2025