Peculiarities of the Relationship Between General and Professional Self-Efficacy in First-Year Students

The article analyzes the relationship between general and professional self-efficacy of 1st year university students. General self-efficacy is considered as a personality trait that affects the choice of goals, the intensity of efforts aimed at achieving them and the effectiveness of activities in general. Professional self-efficacy determines the level of a person's aspirations in educational and professional activities. The study is based on the following hypothesis: general self-efficacy, previously formed in educational or other activities, is the basis for the formation of students' professional self-efficacy at the initial stage of professionalization. The analysis of empirical data showed that indicators of general self-efficacy of first-year students have significant positive correlations with indicators of professional self-efficacy. The assumption that a high level of general self-efficacy, regardless of the sources of its formation, has a positive effect on the development of professional self-efficacy of first-year students was partially confirmed. It has been found that significant correlations between indicators of general self-efficacy and professional self-efficacy are characteristic only of students with academic achievements. The absence of significant correlations between general and professional self-efficacy in students with achievements in the extracurricular sphere indicates that the general self-efficacy of first-year students continues to develop in isolation from their educational and professional activities. The results of the study can be used to develop professional self-efficacy trainings for first-year students. Students with high levels of general self-efficacy need support in performing educational and professional tasks. The development of professional self-efficacy of students with low levels of general self-efficacy will be facilitated by situations of success in educational and professional activities.