Psychological skills and their educational outcomes in adolescence: self-regulation, time management, and academic self-efficacy

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between the fundamental psychological concepts that influence university students’ academic self-efficacy. Specifically, the direct and indirect interactions between self-regulation, time management, and academic self-efficacy were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study was conducted with a sample of 450 undergraduate students enrolled at a public university in Turkey utilizing a quantitative research design. Findings revealed that self-regulation was strongly associated with time management, which was in turn significantly related to academic self-efficacy. Furthermore, results indicated that self-regulation was directly and indirectly associated with academic self-efficacy through time management. Correlation analyses supported significant and positive relationships among all variables. Collectively, these results highlight the important role of behavioral regulation skills in relation to academic self-efficacy. The study highlights the imperative for educational contexts to foster both time management skills and self-regulation competencies, suggesting that a comprehensive, integrative approach to these interrelated constructs is essential for optimizing students’ academic performance and strengthening their self-belief.