Structural relationships among academic self-efficacy, academic performance, and career preparation behavior: the roles of value and cost as mediating variables

Key Points

• Strengthening academic self-efficacy boosts overall academic performance and career preparation behavior, enhancing students' future opportunities.
• Effective integration of value as a positive mediator and cost as a negative one is crucial for successful academic outcomes.
• Assessing structural relationships provides valuable insights into factors affecting both academic performance and career readiness.
• Findings suggest practical strategies for higher education institutions to improve student success through targeted support.