Strong Minds, Strong Grades? A Study of Self-Efficacy and CGPA among Pismp Students

Academic achievement, commonly measured by Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), is crucial in determining students' educational and career pathways.Self-efficacy, as a key psychological construct within Bandura's (1997) Social Cognitive Theory, has been consistently linked to academic success.However, limited studies have examined this relationship in the context of Malaysian teacher education.This quantitative study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement among 239 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education Programme (PISMP) at Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education (IPG).Data were collected through a self-efficacy questionnaire adapted from the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale and self-reported CGPA scores.Descriptive and inferential analyses, including Spearman's correlation, were conducted using SPSS version 27.Findings revealed high levels of self-efficacy across all five subconstructs-Self-Assessment, Career Information, Goal Selection, Planning, and Problem Solving.However, Spearman's correlation showed no significant relationship between overall self-efficacy and CGPA (r = 0.027, p = 0.675), nor with any individual subconstructs.Despite the lack of a significant direct relationship, self-efficacy remains an important psychological asset that may influence other professional outcomes beyond academic grades.Restricted CGPA range and the structured nature of the PISMP programme may have contributed to the non-significant results.Future studies should consider longitudinal or mediated models to better understand the indirect effects of self-efficacy on academic and professional development.