Self-Efficacy, Academic Distraction, and Social Studies Learning Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Self-Control

Social studies learning effectiveness is shaped by students' psychological and behavioral characteristics, yet limited research has examined self-control's dual role as a direct predictor and moderator of self-efficacy and academic distraction. This study investigated these relationships using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Questionnaire data from 244 Grade 8 students were examined through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), followed by interviews with 13 students to explain the quantitative findings. Self-control and self-efficacy positively affected learning effectiveness, whereas academic distraction had a negative effect. Notably, self-control showed the strongest effect size (f² = 0.278), compared with self-efficacy (f² = 0.069) and academic distraction (f² = 0.056). Self-control also strengthened the positive relationship between self-efficacy and learning effectiveness, indicating that self-regulation helps students translate confidence in their academic capabilities into effective learning. However, self-control did not significantly moderate the effect of academic distraction. Qualitative findings revealed that peer interaction and chatting were more prominent sources of classroom distraction than smartphone use, helping explain this non-significant moderation. Overall, self-control emerges as a key self-regulatory capacity that directly enhances learning effectiveness and reinforces self-efficacy, while its capacity to buffer socially driven distractions remains limited. These findings underscore the significance of integrating students' self-regulatory development with classroom strategies to manage peer-driven distractions.