Self-efficacy of VET students, variations across student groups, efficacy domains and the impact of a citizenship education program

Self-efficacy is a major factor in promoting academic success, success in life, and political participation, and education programmes can have long-term impacts on students’ efficacy beliefs. Our descriptive and mixed-method study complements existing knowledge by examining secondary vocational students’ self-efficacy in study and work and their political efficacy, the relation between (self-)efficacy measures and student background, the impact of a citizenship education programme on efficacy in these domains, and impact differences across student characteristics. Economics students in one large vocational education institute participated in a pre- and postsurvey and complimentary focus groups. Examining the relation between (self-)efficacy and student background revealed that the educational level of students’ mother, home language, and students’ gender mattered. In addition to the programme’s significant impact on students’ individual political efficacy and collective civic efficacy, our analysis also indicates that the programme targeting political efficacy may also affect students’ self-efficacy in other domains. Confirmation of the relative impact of this programme on the political efficacy of specific groups of vocational students makes our study of particular interest to scholars and practitioners involved in furthering educational and political equality in democratic countries within and beyond the EU that seek to support political participation of vocational students.