Specificity of Reading Self-Efficacy Among Primary School Children

Abstract

We investigated the specificity of reading self-efficacy among second- to fifth-grade children in Finland (N = 1,327). Bandura (1997) theorized that efficacy beliefs can be assessed at different levels of specificity; however, empirical support for this view is scarce among young children. Efficacy beliefs targeting reading-related activities were assessed at three specificity levels (general, intermediate, and specific). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that these specificity levels are separable, but correlated, and the structure was invariant across gender and grade level. Self-efficacy factors were positively associated with reading fluency, but the strength of these associations varied according to specificity level. Findings suggest that reading self-efficacy in primary grades can and should be assessed at different specificity levels according to research aims.

Keywords:

• Self-efficacy
• reading
• elementary schools
• beliefs
• reading fluency

Acknowledgments

This study was financed by the Academy of Finland (No. 264415 and No. 264344 for 2013–2015).

Notes

1 Finland continues to be a rather homogenous society in that socioeconomic and demographic differences are small compared to many other countries (see PISA 2015, at http://www.oecd.org/pisa). In the cities in which this sample was collected, 95% of the population is Finnish speaking and the number of immigrants is low (3.2%). In addition, Finnish schools are relatively homogeneous: 96% of schools are publicly maintained (Official Statistics of Finland, 2017), and children attend the nearest public school to their home. In general in Finland, reading achievement varies little between schools and between classes (see PILRS, 2016, at http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/). In addition, the socioeconomic variation between schools is small (e.g. OECD, 2013). Given the provision of free, public education up to the university level, socioeconomic background variables tend to play less of a role in Finland than in many other countries.

2 Supplemental material (the actual paragraphs) is available from the first author upon request.

3 Results of the invariance comparison test across grade levels and effect sizes for all grade-level differences are available upon request from the first author.

4 Effect sizes for all grade-level differences are available upon request from the first author.