Project – Effect of Academic Self-Efficacy on Students’ Learning Engagement. A Study of Selected Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeja LGA, Lagos

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Education is widely recognised as a major instrument for individual development, social transformation and national advancement. At the secondary school level, the quality of educational outcomes depends not only on the availability of teachers and instructional facilities but also on the extent to which students actively participate in and take responsibility for their learning. Students’ learning engagement is particularly important because learning requires sustained attention, effort, participation, persistence and emotional involvement rather than mere physical presence in the classroom. Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris (2004) conceptualise student engagement as a multidimensional construct involving behavioural, emotional and cognitive dimensions, with behavioural engagement reflected in participation and effort, emotional engagement reflected in students’ interest and sense of belonging, and cognitive engagement reflected in investment in learning and use of self-regulated strategies. More recent research continues to identify engagement as an important factor in students’ academic success because highly engaged students tend to participate more actively in learning activities and demonstrate greater persistence when faced with academic challenges (Wang et al., 2019; Oladejo et al., 2023). In Nigerian public secondary schools, maintaining students’ interest and active participation in academic activities is therefore an important educational concern, particularly at the senior secondary level where students are expected to prepare for major internal and external examinations.

One psychological factor that may shape students’ willingness to participate actively in learning is academic self-efficacy. Academic self-efficacy refers to students’ beliefs about their capability to organise and execute the actions required to accomplish academic tasks successfully. The concept is derived from Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, which proposes that individuals’ beliefs about their capabilities influence the choices they make, the effort they expend, their persistence and their responses to difficulties (Bandura, 1986, 1997). Students with strong academic self-efficacy are more likely to believe that they can understand difficult academic materials, complete assignments, prepare successfully for examinations and overcome learning difficulties. In contrast, students with weak self-efficacy may doubt their capabilities, avoid difficult tasks and withdraw when they encounter academic challenges. Bandura (1997) further explains that self-efficacy beliefs influence human functioning through cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes. In the academic environment, therefore, what students believe they are capable of doing may influence whether they approach learning tasks with confidence and persistence or with avoidance and discouragement. This makes academic self-efficacy a potentially important psychological determinant of students’ learning engagement.

Academic self-efficacy can develop through several sources, including mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and physiological or emotional states. Mastery experiences occur when students successfully complete academic tasks and consequently develop stronger beliefs in their capabilities. Vicarious experiences occur when students observe peers or other individuals successfully performing similar tasks, thereby developing the belief that they may also be capable of succeeding. Verbal persuasion involves encouragement, feedback and constructive communication from teachers, parents and peers, while physiological and emotional states refer to the ways in which students interpret feelings such as anxiety, excitement, fear or confidence in relation to academic activities (Bandura, 1997). Recent evidence from a Nigerian sample similarly confirms the importance of mastery experiences, modelling, verbal persuasion and physiological states in the development of students’ self-efficacy (Owolabi & Owolabi, 2025). These sources are particularly relevant in secondary schools because teachers’ feedback, classroom experiences, peer comparisons and students’ previous academic successes or failures can continually strengthen or weaken their beliefs about their academic capabilities. Consequently, students who repeatedly experience academic success and receive constructive support may develop stronger academic self-efficacy, which may encourage greater persistence and involvement in learning activities.

The relationship between academic self-efficacy and students’ learning engagement can be explained through the different dimensions of engagement. Behavioural engagement involves students’ participation in classroom activities, attendance, effort, concentration, completion of assignments and adherence to school expectations. Emotional engagement concerns students’ interest, enjoyment, sense of belonging and positive attitudes towards school and learning. Cognitive engagement involves psychological investment in learning, use of deep learning strategies, self-regulation and willingness to invest mental effort in understanding academic material (Fredricks et al., 2004). Academic self-efficacy may influence all three dimensions because students who believe they are capable of succeeding may be more willing to participate, persist when tasks become difficult and use effective learning strategies. Wang et al. (2019) emphasise that student engagement develops through the interaction of individual motivational characteristics and contextual influences. Similarly, a recent study of high school students found that academic self-efficacy was positively associated with academic engagement and contributed to explaining differences in students’ engagement levels (Wang et al., 2024). Thus, students’ beliefs about their academic capabilities may be an important psychological pathway through which active and sustained involvement in learning is promoted.

Empirical evidence from Nigeria provides further support for examining the relationship between academic self-efficacy and learning engagement. Anierobi and Unachukwu (2020) investigated parental home-based involvement and academic self-efficacy as correlates of academic engagement among 1,065 Senior Secondary II students in public secondary schools in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Their findings showed that academic self-efficacy had a high and positive relationship with academic engagement among the secondary school students. Similarly, Owolabi and Owolabi (2024) investigated self-efficacy and academic engagement among 679 students in Babcock University High Schools in Nigeria and reported a positive relationship between students’ self-efficacy and their academic engagement. More recent Nigerian evidence has continued to demonstrate the close connection between engagement and self-efficacy. Akorede and Chinaka (2024), in a study of 1,680 Senior Secondary II students from 21 schools in three Local Government Areas of the Remo Division of Ogun State, found that cognitive, behavioural and emotional engagement significantly contributed to students’ mathematics self-efficacy. These findings suggest a strong relationship between the two constructs, although the direction and magnitude of the relationship may vary according to context, subject area and student characteristics.

The issue of students’ learning engagement is particularly relevant in Lagos State because secondary schools operate within a highly competitive and socially diverse educational environment. Lagos students are exposed to different academic expectations, technological influences, peer interactions, family circumstances and school environments that may shape their attitudes towards learning. Evidence from Lagos State has shown that student engagement is an important concern within public secondary schools. Oladejo et al. (2023), in their study of public secondary schools in Lagos State, examined the costs and benefits associated with students’ engagement and emphasised the importance of students’ active behavioural, emotional and cognitive involvement in schooling. Similarly, Alabi (2018), in a study of secondary schools in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, found that school leadership and the school environment had significant relationships with students’ engagement. These studies demonstrate that engagement among secondary school students in Lagos is influenced by both personal and contextual factors. However, while school environment, parental involvement and other contextual factors are important, students’ internal beliefs about their academic capabilities may also determine whether they respond positively to academic demands. Academic self-efficacy is therefore worthy of specific examination among senior secondary school students in Lagos.

The need to examine academic self-efficacy and learning engagement becomes particularly important among students in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State, where senior secondary school students are expected to cope with increasingly demanding academic tasks and prepare for important examinations and future educational or occupational pathways. Academic engagement cannot be assumed merely from students’ attendance at school because students may be physically present while demonstrating limited attention, effort, interest or cognitive investment in learning. Conversely, students who believe strongly in their academic capabilities may be more willing to set academic goals, participate actively, persist through difficult tasks and employ effective learning strategies. Existing Nigerian studies have established significant associations between academic self-efficacy and academic engagement among secondary school students, including evidence from Nnewi North and other Nigerian contexts (Anierobi & Unachukwu, 2020; Owolabi & Owolabi, 2024). Research has also demonstrated significant relationships between self-efficacy and academic outcomes among secondary school students in Delta, Imo and other Nigerian states (Okweye & Onoyase, 2024; Ozuome et al., 2024). Nevertheless, there is a need for additional empirical evidence specifically focusing on selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA, Lagos State. The present study therefore seeks to examine the effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Students’ active engagement in learning is a major concern in secondary education because effective learning requires more than students’ physical attendance in school. Students are expected to participate in classroom activities, pay attention to instruction, complete assignments, interact constructively with teachers and peers, persist when academic tasks become difficult and invest mental effort in understanding what they are taught. However, some secondary school students may display low levels of participation, interest, effort and persistence in academic activities. Such disengagement can manifest through poor concentration, reluctance to participate in classroom discussions, incomplete assignments, avoidance of difficult tasks, weak study habits and limited emotional attachment to school activities. Evidence from public secondary schools in Lagos State has identified student engagement as an important educational concern, while Oladejo et al. (2023) demonstrated the relevance of behavioural, emotional and cognitive dimensions of engagement among secondary school students in Lagos. Since learning engagement is strongly associated with students’ involvement and persistence in educational activities, continued low engagement may undermine the effectiveness of teaching and students’ academic development.

One possible explanation for differences in students’ engagement is their level of academic self-efficacy. Students who believe that they are capable of succeeding academically may be more willing to undertake challenging tasks, devote effort to learning and persist when they experience difficulties. In contrast, students who doubt their academic capabilities may avoid difficult assignments, experience anxiety about academic tasks and give up more easily when they encounter obstacles. Bandura (1997) explains that self-efficacy influences the amount of effort individuals invest in activities, their perseverance in difficult circumstances and their emotional reactions to challenges. Nigerian evidence supports this position. Anierobi and Unachukwu (2020) found a high and positive relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic engagement among secondary school students in Nnewi North LGA, while Owolabi and Owolabi (2024) reported a positive connection between self-efficacy and academic engagement among students in Nigerian high schools. Despite this evidence, differences in school environments and student populations mean that findings from other locations cannot automatically be generalised to senior secondary school students in Ikeja LGA.

Another problem is that academic engagement is multidimensional and may be affected differently by students’ psychological beliefs. A student may attend classes regularly but remain emotionally uninterested or cognitively passive during lessons. Another student may participate actively but lack persistence when confronted with difficult academic tasks. Fredricks et al. (2004) distinguish behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement, suggesting that understanding student engagement requires attention to students’ participation, emotional connection and mental investment in learning. Research in Nigeria has similarly examined these dimensions in relation to self-efficacy. Akorede and Chinaka (2024) found that cognitive, behavioural and emotional engagement significantly predicted students’ mathematics self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in Ogun State. Although this finding provides useful evidence of a relationship between the constructs, it also indicates the need for more context-specific investigation. There remains uncertainty about how academic self-efficacy influences the broader learning engagement of senior secondary school students in the specific educational environment of Ikeja Local Government Area.

The major problem, therefore, is the insufficient empirical evidence on the extent to which academic self-efficacy influences students’ learning engagement among senior secondary school students in Ikeja LGA, Lagos State. Existing studies in Nigeria have examined academic self-efficacy in relation to academic achievement, mathematics performance, resilience and engagement in other geographical settings (Moses & Umma, 2018; Anierobi & Unachukwu, 2020; Okweye & Onoyase, 2024). Other studies have investigated student engagement in Lagos State, but not necessarily with academic self-efficacy as the principal explanatory variable in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA (Oladejo et al., 2023). Consequently, it remains necessary to establish empirically whether students who possess stronger beliefs in their academic capabilities demonstrate higher levels of learning engagement. This study is therefore designed to examine the effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The specific objectives are to:

1. determine the effect of students’ belief in their academic capabilities on their behavioural engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA;
2. examine the effect of students’ academic self-efficacy on their emotional engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA;
3. determine the effect of students’ academic self-efficacy on their cognitive engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA; and
4. examine the overall effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent does students’ belief in their academic capabilities affect their behavioural engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA?
2. To what extent does academic self-efficacy affect students’ emotional engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA?
3. To what extent does academic self-efficacy affect students’ cognitive engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA?
4. What is the overall effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA?

1.5 Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: Academic self-efficacy has no significant effect on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to students because it may increase awareness of the importance of developing positive beliefs about their academic capabilities. Understanding the relationship between self-efficacy and learning engagement may encourage students to approach academic activities with greater confidence, persistence and willingness to overcome learning difficulties.

The study will be useful to teachers because its findings may help them understand the psychological factors underlying students’ participation in classroom activities. Teachers may use appropriate encouragement, constructive feedback, mastery-oriented learning activities and supportive classroom practices to strengthen students’ confidence in their academic abilities.

The study will also be beneficial to school counsellors. Guidance counsellors may use the findings to design interventions aimed at improving students’ academic self-beliefs, study habits, persistence, goal setting and participation in learning activities. Such interventions may be particularly useful for students who demonstrate persistent academic avoidance or low confidence.

The findings will be useful to principals and school administrators because understanding the relationship between academic self-efficacy and engagement may assist them in supporting school programmes that promote students’ psychological well-being and academic participation. School administrators may also encourage teaching practices and learning environments that provide students with opportunities for successful academic experiences.

The study will be valuable to the Lagos State Ministry of Education and other educational policymakers. The findings may provide empirical information that can contribute to policies and programmes aimed at improving students’ engagement and academic development in secondary schools. The results may also inform teacher-training and school-based intervention programmes.

Finally, the study will contribute to the existing academic literature on academic self-efficacy and student engagement. It may provide empirical evidence from Ikeja LGA that can be used by educational psychologists, researchers and future students undertaking related studies in Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the effect of academic self-efficacy on students’ learning engagement in selected senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The study will be geographically restricted to selected public senior secondary schools in Ikeja LGA, Lagos State. The target population will comprise students in the senior secondary school classes within the selected schools.

Conceptually, the independent variable is academic self-efficacy, while the dependent variable is students’ learning engagement.

Academic self-efficacy will be examined in relation to students’ confidence in their ability to understand academic work, complete assignments, overcome academic difficulties, prepare for examinations and achieve academic goals.

Students’ learning engagement will be examined through three major dimensions:

• Behavioural engagement — attendance, participation, effort, concentration, assignment completion and persistence;
• Emotional engagement — interest, enjoyment, sense of belonging and positive feelings towards learning and school; and
• Cognitive engagement — mental effort, self-regulation, strategic learning, deep thinking and willingness to understand difficult academic content.

The study will not focus primarily on students’ academic performance or examination scores, although these may be related to learning engagement. The principal concern is the relationship between students’ academic self-efficacy and their active involvement in learning.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Academic Self-Efficacy: Students’ beliefs about their ability to organise and successfully perform actions required to accomplish academic tasks.

Academic Engagement: The extent to which students actively invest their behavioural, emotional and cognitive resources in learning activities.

Behavioural Engagement: Students’ observable participation in learning, including attendance, effort, concentration, classroom participation, assignment completion and persistence.

Cognitive Engagement: The extent to which students invest mental effort in understanding academic content and employ self-regulated and strategic learning approaches.

Emotional Engagement: Students’ feelings, interest, enjoyment, sense of belonging and positive attitudes towards school and learning activities.

Learning Engagement: Students’ active involvement in the learning process through behavioural participation, emotional involvement and cognitive investment.

Senior Secondary School: The final three years of secondary education in Nigeria, generally comprising Senior Secondary I, Senior Secondary II and Senior Secondary III.

Student: A learner formally enrolled in one of the selected senior secondary schools covered by the study.

Academic Capability: A student’s perceived ability to understand, perform and succeed in academic tasks.

Academic Persistence: The willingness of a student to continue making effort towards an academic task despite difficulties or setbacks.

Selected Schools: Public senior secondary schools in Ikeja Local Government Area that will be included in the sample for the study.

Effect: The extent to which variation in students’ academic self-efficacy is associated with corresponding variation in their learning engagement.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters.

Chapter One presents the introduction to the study. It contains the background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study, operational definition of terms and organisation of the study.

Chapter Two will review related literature. It will cover the conceptual review, theoretical review, empirical review and summary of the reviewed literature. The chapter will provide the theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding academic self-efficacy and students’ learning engagement.

Chapter Three will present the research methodology. It will discuss the research design, population of the study, sample size, sampling technique, research instrument, validity of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis.

Chapter Four will present and analyse the data collected from the respondents. The research questions will be answered using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical procedures, while the hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance.

Chapter Five will present the discussion of findings, summary of the study, conclusion and recommendations. The chapter will also identify suggestions for further studies based on the findings and limitations of the research.

Project – Effect of Academic Self-Efficacy on Students’ Learning Engagement. A Study of Selected Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeja LGA, Lagos