Abstract:
This dissertation demonstrates how Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986,
1997) can be successfully applied to Counselor academic advising interventions, in
order to increase students' self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (Zimmerman,
2000) in academic planning as learned outcomes. This was accomplished by (a)
reviewing the academic advising literature and showing the current existing gap for
assessing learning outcomes in academic advising; (b) evaluating the validity and
reliability of three assessment instruments, designed by this author, to measure self efficacy
and self-regulated learning constructs in academic planning; (c) testing three
hypotheses to determine whether pre-post increases in self-efficacy and self-regulated
learning occurred following academic advising interventions, and whether a positive
reciprocal relationship existed between self-efficacy and self-regulated learning; and
finally (d) demonstrating how these changes were influenced by Counselor
interventions (based in social cognitive learning principles), with students' learned
outcomes.
One hundred twenty California Community College students individually
participated in a 30-minute academic advising session. The results show strong
validity and reliability for using these three assessment instruments for measuring
students' self-efficacy and self-regulated learning in academic planning. Significant
mean increases were found between pre-post measures following Counselor
interventions, as well as a positive, reciprocal relationship existing between selfefficacy
and self-regulated learning in academic planning. Increased correlations were
found within forethought and self-reflection phases following Counselor interventions
using Zimmerman's (2000) cyclical self-regulated learning model. These findings lent
support to Zimmerman's model and the relational influences between Counselor
intervention processes with students' learned outcomes.
