Abstract
The belief in self-efficacy is one of the central mechanisms for evaluating students’ representations of their ability to organize and perform the necessary actions to achieve good academic performance. Thus, this qualitative case study aimed to analyze the impacts of the school context on academic self-efficacy beliefs. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 students from the first to the third high school year of a public school in the countryside of São Paulo. Data were divided into three analytical categories: perceived academic self-efficacy and school variables that act for its promotion and maintenance; self-efficacy for participation and prominence in school life; and self-efficacy for the acquisition of school knowledge. The results indicate that students have a positive self-efficacy belief about the overall academic experiences, but that they often stumble upon divergencies between the school environment and the opportunities for achieving the desired performance.
Keywords:
Academic Self-efficacy; School Context; High School