This document summarizes research on factors that influence secondary students' achievement, wellbeing and transition after secondary school. It describes a study that examined academic self-efficacy, self-esteem, wellbeing, test anxiety, and parental education level in 85 secondary students. Results showed academic self-efficacy and test anxiety predicted academic performance, while self-esteem predicted wellbeing. The discussion focuses on how self-concept and parental background relate to educational achievement and adjustment during transition after secondary school.

1. 1
David Mcilroy & Rebekah Rynne
(LJMU)
PSI Wexford (2018)
Title: Constructs implicated in secondary students’
achievement, wellbeing and transition.

2. Background and Method
 Similarities in secondary and tertiary research
 Challenges around transition – capturing the
processes
 Sample: N = 85 secondary students (age 17)
Measures:
 Academic self-efficacy & Self-esteem
 Wellbeing: GHQ-12, Satisfaction with Life Scale
 Parental education level (7 grades)
 Performance indicators (Irish Junior & Leaving
Cert predicted grades)
2

3. Wellbeing in education
 Growing attention and concern
 Negative and positive aspects for full picture
 Two facets used in the present study SWL and GHQ-12
 Increased attention to self-esteem – the up and down sides
 Parental background with reference to education (Davis-
Keen, 2005)
 Growing focus on first generation students
3

4. Important processes in educational
transition
 Emotional rollercoaster and adjustment
(Pritchard & Wilson, 2003)
 Wellbeing – socialisation, engagement and
character building (Gray & Hackling, 2009)
 Retention and progression are causes for
celebration (Crosling et al., 2009)
 Adaptation to change and uncertainty - the
eaglets leaving the nest
4

5. Self-efficacy and Test Anxiety –
Green light versus red light
5
Self-efficacy: An inner resource for learning and
achievement (Komarraju & Nadler, 2013)
Agency, mastery, motivation & beliefs (Bandura,
2001; Britner & Pajares, 2006)
Test Anxiety – Teasing out the constructive
component (Covington & Omelich, 1989).
A learned state with maladaptive characteristics –
distraction, avoidance, interference,
procrastination (Szafranski et al., 2012)

6. Facilitative or Debilitative?
6

7. Self-concept and transition –
onwards, upwards and outwards
 Self-efficacy – belief in personal
competence (Honicke & Broadbent,
2016)
 Self-esteem – belief in personal value
(Karatzias et al., 2006)
 Self-estimation – confidence in
predicting achievement (Kuncel et al.,
2005)
 Self-contextualisation – parental
impact (Davis-Keen, 2005)
7

8. Table 1: Descriptive statistics and
correlation coefficients
8
Mean
(SD)
Alpha 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Jun Cert (1) 482.88
(222.88)
- 1
Leave Cert
(2)
369.69
(148.15)
- .20 1
SWL (3) 21.19 (7.21) .81 .07 -.19 1
Self-esteem
(4)
33.98 (7.40) .84 -.16 .13 .36** 1
Aca Self-eff
(5)
44.66 (7.63) .69 -.01 .25* .26* .52** 1
Test Anx
(6)
93.50 (23.47) .92 -.19 -.21 -.09 -.29** -.12 1
Gen Self-eff
(7)
28.45 (4.40) .78 .16 .16 .12 .27* .37** -.06 1
GHQ-12 (8) 26.48 (6.41) .85 .11 -.01 -.43** -.75** -.40** .26* -.24* 1
Par Edu A
(9)
-3.64 (1.26) -
-.10 .30** -.05 .16 -24** -.18 .30** -.10 1
Par Edu B
(10)
3.41 (1.02)
-
-.17 .17 - .09 .19 -.05 .20*1 .07 .55** 1
*p < .05; *1 p < .05 (one-tailed); ** p < .01. Values for skewness and kurtosis were all < 1 – strong indicators of multivariate normality.

9. Table 2: Academic performance regressed on
ASE and Worry.
9
Predictors B Std. Error of B β
ASE 2.82 1.39 .22*
Worry -3.98 1.66 -.26*
F(df) 5.47 (2,74)**
Adjusted 𝑹𝑹𝟐𝟐 .11
Key: ASE= Academic Self-Efficacy. * p < .05. & ** p < .01.

10. Table 3: Multiple regression: SWLS &
GHQ-12 regressed on psychological
constructs
10
Predictors SWLS GHQ12
B Std. Error of B β B Std. Error of B β
GSE - - - -.07 .12 -.05
ASE .09 .11 .10 .004 .08 .01
Self-Esteem .30 .12 .31* -.61 .08 -.72**
Test Anxiety - - - .02 .02 .06
F(df) 6.44 (3, 80)** 25.13 (4, 79)**
Adjusted 𝑹𝑹𝟐𝟐 .12 .54
Key: GSE= General Self-Efficacy. ASE= Academic Self-Efficacy. * p < .05. & ** p < .01.

11.  Teachers’ predictions (Südkamp, 2012)
 Academic & adjustment preparation
 Living and coping with uncertainty –
framework for control (Nie et al., 2011;
Vogelaar et al., 2016) – ASE & TA
 Doubts related to family background
 Confidence related to effort invested
 GSE & ASE pivotal to academic
achievement and wellbeing
 Recognition of self-concept and self-
esteem (Baumeister et al., 2003; D'Amico 11
Transition after secondary school

12. References
12
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13. Refs (Continued)
13
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and product of achievement. Journal of Individual Differences, 38(2), 102–112. doi: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000227.
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