Mathematics Self-Efficacy Sources and Mathematics Engagement among Secondary School Students in Nyimbwa Sub-County, Luweero District

Mathematics engagement occurs when the student engages in the activity that is directed towards doing mathematics, learning mathematics, completing mathematics tasks and participating in school mathematics. This study aimed at establishing the relationship between Mathematics Self-Efficacy Sources and engagement among secondary school students in Nyimbwa Sub-county in Luweero District, Uganda. It specifically intended to examine the relationship between mastery experience and mathematical engagement of students, determine the relationship between vicarious experience and mathematical engagement of students, establish the relationship between verbal persuasion and mathematical engagement of students and examine the relationship between physiological state and mathematical engagement of students. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlational research design. A sample of 240 respondents participated in the study. Data were collected from primary sources. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation to determine the relationship between different variables. Findings revealed that mastery experience relates to mathematics engagement among secondary school students, vicarious experience relates negatively to mathematical engagement among secondary school students, verbal persuasion relates positively with mathematics engagement among secondary school students and that physiological state relate with mathematical engagement among secondary school students in Nyimbwa Sub-county in Luweero District. The study recommends that Government needs to educate and sensitize the mathematics teachers to cater for their students’ wellbeing, carry out effective teaching to enable them have mastery experience in order to get engaged in mathematics and excel in their academics.

Received: 12 October 2025; Accepted: 22 October 2025; Published: 15 November

1. Abdullah, M. C., Teoh, H., Roslan, S., & Uli, J. (2015). Student Engagement: Concepts, Development and Application in Malaysian Universities. J. Educ. Soc. Res., 5, 275. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ainley, M. (1993). Styles of engagement with learning: Multidimensional assessment of their relationship with strategy use and school achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 395-405. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (2001). Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children’s aspirations and career trajectories. Child Development, 72(1), 187–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00273 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bandura, A., (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bandura, A., (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Bandura, A., Pastorelli, C., Barbaranelli, C., &Caprara, G. V. (1999). Self-efficacy pathways to childhood depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 258–269. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Bassi, M., Steca, P., Delle Fave, A., & Caprara, G. V. (2007). Academic self-efficacy beliefs and quality of experience in learning. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36(3), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9069-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Aleksiuk, M. (1996). Power therapy: Maximizing personal well-being through self-efficacy. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Bingham,G. E., & Okagaki, L. (2012). Ethnicity and student engagement. N.S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.),Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 65-95). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Black, T. R., Atwaru-Okello, D., Kiwanuka, J., Serwadda, D., Birabi, O., Malinga, F., Alstair, R. A. (1998). Science education in Uganda: Progress and possibilities. International Journal of Science Education, 20, 239-252. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Boynton, M., & Boynton, C. (2005). The educator’s guide to preventing and solving discipline problems. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Bobis J., Anderson J., Martin A. J., Way J. (2011). A model for mathematics instruction to enhance student motivation and engagement. In Brahier D. J. (Ed.), Motivation and disposition: Pathways to learning mathematics (pp. 31-42). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Caraway, K., Tucker, C., Reinke, W., & Hall, C. (2003). Self-efficacy, goal orientation and fear of failure as predictors of school engagement in high school students. Psychology in the Schools, 40, 417-724. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Ciric, M.; Jovanovic, D. (2016). Student Engagement as a Multidimensional Concept. Multidimens. Concept, 187–194 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. De Talancé, M. (2016). Better Teachers, Better Results? Evidence from Rural Pakistan. J. Dev. Stud., 53, 1697–1713. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Deveci, O.; Karademir, C.A. (2019). Investigation of the 5th Grade Students’ Engagements in Mathematics Course towards Student Opinions. Eur. J. Educ. Res., 8, 337–348. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Delfino, A. P. (2019). Student engagement and academic performance of students of partido state university. Asian J. Univ. Educ., 15, 42–55 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Eccles J. S. (2016) Engagement: Where to next. Learning and Instruction 43: 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Finn, J. D., & Rock, D. (1997). Academic success among students at risk for school failure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82 (2), 221-234. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Fredricks J. A., Blumenfeld P. C., Paris A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59-109. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Fung, F.; Tan, C.Y.; Chen, G. (2018). Student engagement and mathematics achievement: Unraveling main and interactive effects. Psychol. Sch., 55, 815–831 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Garland, C.M. (2015). Gamification and implications for second language education: A meta-analysis. Culminating Projects in English. Retrieved from https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/engletds/40 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Gasevic, D.; Jovanovic, J.; Pardo, A.; Dawson, S. (2017). Detecting Learning Strategies with Analytics: Links with Self-Reported Measures and Academic Performance. J. Learn. Anal., 4, 113–128 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Gopal, K., Salim,N., Andayub, A. (2019). Perceptions of learning mathematics among lower secondary students in Malaysia: study on students’ engagement using fuzzy con joint analaysis. Machieanalaysian journal of mathematical sciences, 13(2):165185. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Goss, P & Sonnemann, J. (2017). Engaging students: Creating classrooms that improve learning. https://grattan.edu.au/wpcontent/uploads/2017/02/Engagingstudentscreatingclassroomsthatimprovelearining.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Guo, M.; Leung, F.K.S. (2020). Achievement goal orientations, learning strategies, and mathematics achievement: A comparison of Chinese Miao and Han students. Psychol. Sch., 58, 107–123 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Gustafsson, J.-E.; Nilsen, T.; Hansen, K.Y. (2018). School characteristics moderating the relation between student socio-economic status and mathematics achievement in grade 8. Evidence from 50 countries in TIMSS 2011. Stud. Educ. Eval., 57, 16–30. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Jaafar, W.L.W.; Maat, S.M. (2020). The relationship between motivaion and mathematics achievement among rural school students. J. Pendidik. Sains Mat. Malays., 10, 39–48. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Lam, S.-F.; Jimerson, S.; Wong, B.P.H.; Kikas, E.; Shin, H.; Veiga, F.H.; Hatzichristou, C.; Polychroni, F.; Cefai, C.; Negovan, V. (2014). Understanding and measuring student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries. Sch. Psychol. Q., 29, 213–232 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Lei, H.; Cui, Y.; Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Soc. Behav. Pers. Int. J., 46, 517–528. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Li, Y., & Lerner, R. (2011). Trajectories of School Engagement during Adolescence: Implications for Grades, Depression, Delinquency, and Substance Use. Developmental Psychology, 47 (1), 233-247. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Lijie, Z., Zongzhao, M & Ying, z. (2020). The influence of mathemativcs attitude on academic achievement: ntermediary role of mathematics learning engagement. Journal Cendekia: Journal Pendidikan Matematika (Scholar’s journal: journal of mathematics Education), 4(2), 460-467. https://doi.org/10.31004/cendekia.v4i2.253 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Mameli, C.; Passini, S. (2017). Measuring four-dimensional engagement in school: A validation of the Student Engagement Scale and of the Agentic Engagement Scale. TPM Test Psychomet. Methodol. Appl. Psychol., 527–541. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Maamin, M.; Maat, S.M.; Ikhsan, Z. (2021). Analysis of the factors that influence mathematics achievement in the ASEAN countries. Cypriot J. Educ. Sci., 16, 371–388. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Maamin, M.; Maat, S.M.; Ikhsan, Z. (2020). A Systematic Review of Teacher Factors and Mathematics Achievement. Univ. J. Educ. Res., 8, 998–1006. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Margolis, H., & McCabe, P. P. (2006). Improving self-efficacy and motivation: What to do, what to say. Intervention in School & Clinic, 41(4), 218-227. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Martin A. J., Bobis J., Anderson J., Way J., Vellar R. (2011). Patterns of multilevel variance in psycho-educational phenomena: Exploring motivation, engagement, climate, teacher, and achievement factors. German Journal of Educational Psychology/Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 25, 49-61 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Miller, R. B., Greene, B., Montalvo, G., Ravindran, B., & Nichols, J. (1996). Engagement in academic work: The role of learning goals, future consequences, pleasing others, and perceived ability. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 388-422. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Ministry of Education & Sports, (2019) www.education.go.ug/policy_statement2000- 2001 htm downloaded 3nd April 2019 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Muris, P. (2001). A brief questionnaire for measuring self-efficacy in youths. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 23, 145-149. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Nayir, K. F. (2015). The relationship between students’ engagement level and their attitudes toward school. The Anthropologist, 20(12), 5061. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720073.2015.11891723 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Newman, F., Wehlage, G., & Lamborn, S. (1992). The significance and sources of student engagement. In F. Newman (Ed.), Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools (pp. 11-39). New York: Teacher’s College Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Nogueira, J. (2008). Validation of a measure of self-efficacy for youngsters. In INTED2008 Proceedings CD.Valência: IATED. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs in achievement settings. Review of Educational Research, 66, 543-578. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Pajares, F. (2009). Information on self-efficacy: A community of scholars. Available at: http:// www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/self-eficacy.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Payne, R. K. (2005). A framework for understanding poverty (4th ed.). Highlands, TX: aha! Seattle, WA: Hogrefe& Huber. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Rosli, R.; Siregar, N.C.; Maat, S.M.; Capraro, M.M. (2019). The Effect of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program on Students’ Achievement in Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis. Int. Electron. J. Math. Educ., 1, em0549 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Rotgans & Schmidt,(2011). Situational interest and academic achievement in the active-learning classroom. February 2011 Learning and instruction 21 (1): 58-67 DOI: 10.1016/j. learnerstruc.2009.11.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Rukundo, A., and Magambo, J. (2023), Professional Impotence: Impact of Alcoholism on Secondary School Teachers in Uganda. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research (IJADR), 2(2), 69-74. https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i2.104secondary [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. SESEMAT, (2008) Uganda SESEMAT program: impact and challenges in its implementation www.researchgate.net/ publication/318259701 vol. 2 No.6 June 2014 internal journal of education and research [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Schnitzler, K.; Holzberger, D.; Seidel, T. (2020). All better than being disengaged: Student engagement patterns and their relations to academic self-concept and achievement. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ., 36, 627–652. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. Shernoff, D. J., Kelly, S., Tonks, S. M., Anderson, B., Cavanagh, R. F., Sinha, S., & Abdi, B. (2016). Student engagement as a function of environmental complexity in high school classrooms. Learning and instruction5260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learningstruc.2015.12.003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Silver, A.M.; Elliott, L.; Libertus, M.E. (2020). When beliefs matter most: Examining children’s math achievement in the context of parental math anxiety. J. Exp. Child Psychol., 201, 104992 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Su, A.; He, W. (2020). Exploring Factors Linked to the Mathematics Achievement of Ethnic Minority Students in China for Sustainable Development: A Multilevel Modeling Analysis. Sustainability, 12, 2755. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. Sullivan, P., & Davidson, A. (2014). The role of challenging mathematical tasks in creating opportunities for student reasoning. In J. Anderson, M. Cavanagh & A. Prescott (Eds.), Proceedings of the 37th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp. 605-612). Sydney, MERGA. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. Taylor and Parsons (2011), Improving student Engagement .May 2011 current issues in Education 14(1) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

59. Tembe, N.; Igber Anyagh, P.; Ogbole Abakpa, B. (2020). Students mathematics interest as correlate of achievement in mathematics: Evidence from a sub-Saharan student sample. Sci. Open Prepr. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

60. Toropova, A.; Johansson, S.; Myrberg, E. (2019). The role of teacher characteristics for student achievement in mathematics and student perceptions of instructional quality. Educ. Inq., 10, 275–299. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

61. Tinkamanyire, D. (2010, 13th April). New science policy unfair. New Vision. Uganda, R. o. (1992). The government white paper on education. Kampala: Ministry of Education and Sports. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

62. Ulmanen, Soini, Pietarinen, & Pyhalto, 2016; Watson, Miller, Davis, & Carter, 2010). Students experiences of the development of emotional engagement (international journal of educational research 79:86-96 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

63. Van Uden, Ritzen and Pieters (2013) Engaging students: The Role of Teacher Beliefs and interpersonal Teacher Behavior in Fostering student Engagement In Vocational Education. January 2014 Teaching and Teacher Education 37:21-32 DOI:10.1016/j.tate.2013.08.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

64. Wang, M.-T.; Fredricks, J.A.; Ye, F.; Hofkens, T.L.; Linn, J.S. (2016). The Math and Science Engagement Scales: Scale development, validation, and psychometric properties. Learn. Instruct., 43, 16–26. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

65. Watson, J., Beswick, K.,& Brown, N. (2006). Teachers’ knowledge of their students as learners and how to intervene. In P. Grootenboer, R. Zevenbergen, & M. Chinnappan (Eds.), Identities, cultures and learning spaces (proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, PP. 551-558). Sydney: MERGA. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

66. Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion. Psychological Review, 92(4), 548-573. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

67. Yeigh, T. & Woolcott, G. (2014, October). Enhancing mathematics and science teacher education in regional Australia: Pedagogical interactions and their affective outcomes. Paper presented at the Asian Conference on Education 2014 (ACE2014), Osak [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

68. Zhang, D.; Wang, C. (2020). The relationship between mathematics interest and mathematics achievement: Mediating roles of self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety. Int. J. Educ. Res., 104, 101648 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

69. Zelkowski, J., Gleason, J., Cox, D. C., & Bismarck, S. (2013). Developing and validating a reliable TPACK instrument for secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2013.10782618 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study