I believe I am capable in my role, but what do my fellow team members believe? : self-efficacy and proxy-efficacy beliefs in small groups

The research reported here was part of a larger, multilevel research project. A longitudinal design was employed to investigate relationships between the proxy efficacy and self-efficacy beliefs of students working on a group assignment. The sample comprised 186 undergraduate students (70.7% female), ranged in age from 17 to 50 years (M = 21.20 years), and randomly assigned to 62 groups in a teacher preparation course at a Sydney university. Data collection was by a survey administered at three intervals (weeks 4, 8 and 12) during a semester of study. Path analysis was used to test relationships between the variables of interest. Results suggested that relationships between proxy efficacy and self-efficacy varied over time, depending upon the role. This study provides novel insights into how efficacy beliefs may impact groups.