Which comes first? Modeling longitudinal associations among self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement

Past studies have predominantly focused on how self-efficacy and motivation facilitate academic achievement. However, the opposite might also hold with higher academic achievement catalyzing greater self-efficacy and motivation. This study aimed to uncover the reciprocal relationships among self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. A total of 483 Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from junior secondary schools participated in our study. Surveys and tests were administered at three different time points over one semester. We adopted a cross-lagged analysis to analyze the data. Meanwhile, a series of multigroup analyses were conducted to explore whether their relationship was invariant across gender and socioeconomic status groups. Results showed that: (1) higher self-efficacy, autonomous motivation, and controlled motivation led to better academic achievement, (2) better academic achievement in turn catalyzed higher levels of self-efficacy and autonomous motivation but not controlled motivation; (3) these reciprocal effects held regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. The findings depict the dynamic interplay between self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.