Mathematics Self-efficacy and Students’ Perceived Mathematics Performance: the Roles of Attitude and Teacher Support in Ghanaian Senior High Schools

Mathematics self-efficacy is widely recognized as an important predictor of students’ engagement and learning in mathematics; however, the moderated mediation mechanisms through which mathematics self-efficacy relates to perceived performance remain underexplored in many African contexts. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the direct and indirect relationships between mathematics self-efficacy and students’ perceived mathematics performance, focusing on the mediating role of attitude towards mathematics and the moderating role of teacher support. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 292 senior high school students in Ghana through validated self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the measurement and structural models, including mediation and moderated mediation. The results indicated that mathematics self-efficacy significantly predicted students’ attitudes towards mathematics (β = 0.254, p < 0.001), while perceived teacher support showed a stronger positive association with attitude (β = 0.424, p < 0.001) and strengthened the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and attitude. The structural model explained 23% of the variance in attitude towards mathematics (R2 = 0.23) and 14% of the variance in perceived mathematics performance (R2 = 0.14). However, neither mathematics self-efficacy nor attitude towards mathematics significantly predicted students’ perceived mathematics performance and the mediating effect of attitude was not supported. Teacher support moderated the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and attitude, but the indirect effect on perceived performance was not significant, suggesting that while teacher support is associated with higher confidence and more positive dispositions towards mathematics, these factors alone may be insufficient to influence students’ performance perceptions. These findings suggest that while supportive teaching practices are associated with stronger self-efficacy and more positive attitudes, their role in shaping performance perceptions may be limited in contexts where structural constraints persist. This study contributes context-specific evidence from Ghana and extends Social Cognitive Theory by illustrating how environmental support shapes affective pathways in mathematics learning.