Accuracy of University students' skill-specific self-efficacy and self-efficacy-performance in gymnastics relationship

The present study evaluated the university students' accuracy of skill-specific self-efficacy judgments within the area of gymnastics and the relationship between self-efficacy and performance in gymnastics. Questionnaires assessing (a) students' self-efficacy and (b) teachers' judgments as regards the difficulty in gymnastics skills were developed and administered for these purposes. In the study 207 male and 163 female students attending the second year of study in a School of Physical Education and Sport Science and their teachers (n = 9) respectively participated. Students' self-efficacy was evaluated at the beginning, at the end of the first semester and at the end of the academic year. Gymnastics performance was evaluated at the end of the year. Results of a pilot study supported the reliability and validity of the questionnaires (39 males and 47 females). Comparing students' self-efficacy measurements with grades obtained by the evaluation of their performance concluded that students tended to underestimate self-efficacy in the baseline measurement and to overestimate it in the final measurement. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that students' self efficacy significantly predicted their performance at the end of the academic year.