Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine if after-school program participation affected elementary students’ self-efficacy beliefs and better understand the relationship between elementary students’ academic self-efficacy and GPA. This study used a causal-comparative research design. Archival data gathered included students’ responses to the Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale (MJSES) (Jinks & Morgan, 1999) and students’ GPA. The MJSES reports self-efficacy using three subscales: talent, context, and effort. No statistically significant differences were found in academic self-efficacy beliefs of elementary students participating in the after-school program. A statistically significant difference was reported for the effort subscale between those who participated in the after-school program and those who did not. Non-participants had higher effort than participants of the after-school program. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between elementary students’ academic self-efficacy and GPA.