Distal and proximal associates of academic performance at secondary level: A mediation model of personality and self-efficacy

The predictive map for personality-related measures has evolved into distal, proximal and immediate associates of academic performance. This study used distal (Five Factor Model) and proximal (Academic Self-efficacy, ASE) associates with GPA (a specific facet of academic performance) at two time points with secondary level students at sixth form college (N = 106, average age 17 and evenly balanced by gender). Openness, Conscientiousness and ASE were associated with GPA at weak to moderate levels. In a path analysis with ASE as the mediator, the three constructs explained 17% variance on academic performance at time 1 and 42% at time 2 when a direct effect from GPA1 to GPA2 was introduced, with Openness and ASE remaining statistically significant when controlling for GPA1, and all three constructs provided significant indirect effects. Findings demonstrate the salient value of Openness and Conscientiousness, when configured with ASE as the mediator. Findings are applied to the approaches that facilitate learning pathways and support ability processes in achievement.