The self-efficacy scale was divided into two sub-sections. The first included nine
statements and addressed students' beliefs about themselves as learners of mathematics.
In particular it focused on their beliefs about the fixed or changeable nature of
mathematical ability. Typical statements included:
Some people just can't do maths
Working hard leads to success in maths
You can't change your maths ability
The second self-efficacy sub-section included 12 statements and addressed students'
attributions of success and failure in mathematics examinations. Typical statements were:
If I do well in a maths exam it's because:
I was lucky with the questions
I worked hard
A parallel set of questions was phrased negatively and included statements such as:
If I do badly in a maths exam it's because
The questions were too hard
I have no natural ability in maths
The next section of the instrument focussed on students' metacognitive knowledge.
There were ten statements such as:
I know which parts of maths I don't understand
I know in advance if I am going to get a question right
I know which mistakes I am most likely to make in maths