Why should you believe in yourself? Students' performance‐approach goals shape their approach to learning through self‐efficacy: A longitudinal analysis

Based on the Achievement Goals Theory and Students' Approaches to Learning, we proposed a model in which students' self‐efficacy acts as a mediator between students' performance‐approach goals orientation and their approach to learning in dealing with academic tasks throughout an academic year. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the model on a sample of 565 first‐year university students at three different moments. The results showed that self‐efficacy in academic tasks at T2 totally mediated the relationship between performance‐approach goals at T1 and the deep approach at T3 and partially the relationship with the surface approach at T3. The results underline that if the direct effect of performance‐approach goals is that of the surface approach intensification without any impact on the deep approach, an increase in the deep approach and a decline in the surface approach can be observed through self‐efficacy in academic tasks.