The Mediating Role of Achievement Emotions in Relationship between Academic Self-efficacy Beliefs and Learning Approaches

This study examined the mediating effect of achievement emotions on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and deep and surface learning approaches among female students. On a sample consisting of 300 university students were administrated the achievement emotions questionnaire- learning-related emotions (Pekrun, Goetz & Perry, 2005), the academic self-efficacy beliefs questionnaire (Zajacova, Lynch & Espenshade, 2005) and the Revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire (Biggs, Kember & Leung, 2001). Structural equation modeling was used to assess the mediating effects model of achievement emotions on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and learning approaches among female students. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that the mediating model of achievement emotions on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and learning approaches had a good fit to the data. All of the regression weights in both models were statistically significant and in the mediating model of positive emotions, model' predictors accounted for 48 and 19 of the variance in deep and surface learning approaches respectively and in the mediating model of negative emotions, model' predictors accounted for 19 and 24 of the variance in deep and surface learning approaches. These findings show that among students when encountering to demands of academic life, difference in scores of deep and surface learning approaches among them, accounted for by difference in degree of positive and negative achievement emotions.