Reliability and Validity of Self-Efficacy for Learning Form (SELF) Scores of College Students

Abstract. We studied psychometric properties of the SELF with 223 college students. The SELF assesses students' self-efficacy beliefs regarding their use of specific self-regulatory processes in various areas of academic functioning. To determine the validity of SELF scores, the following outcome measures were studied: perceived responsibility, homework quantity, and homework quality. In addition, students' grades, standardized test scores (SAT), and instructor ratings of students' self-regulated skills were investigated. Students' scores on both the original SELF and an abridged form of the scale (SELF-A) were found to have a unitary factor structure and high level of internal reliability. Interestingly, the SELF-A was superior in its prediction of all validity measures except the SAT, which was comparable for the two forms.