Abstract:

Iranian students encounter difficulties and challenges during their study in Malaysia. The effects of these challenges increase psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, tension and depression. Obviously, students need to be aware of what can help them to reduce the negative effects of migration on their mental health and what actions to take for better adjustment and academic success. Confidence in the ability to use control over an individual’s behavior, social environment, and motivation can be reflected by self-efficacy, or students’ belief in their own abilities to manage specific conditions. Self-efficacy can play a role in not only how students feel about themselves, but whether or not they successfully achieve their goals and will help to better adjustment. Lack of comprehensive research on self-efficacy and its related factor among Iranian students in Malaysia motivated the researchers to conduct this study.

This study examines the relationship between optimism, dimensions of social support, demographic variables and self-efficacy among Iranian students of University Putra Malaysia (UPM). To achieve the aims of the study particular objectives were designed as follows:
1) To investigate significant differences in self-efficacy level across selected demographic variables (gender and marital status) among Iranian students in UPM,
2) To investigate the relationship between optimism, dimensions of social support and self-efficacy among Iranian graduate students in UPM,
3) To investigate the extent to which optimism and dimensions of social support significantly predict the level of self- efficacy among Iranian students in UPM.

This study employed a descriptive correlational design. A number of 251 Iranian graduate students from UPM participated in this research. Simple random sampling was used to collect the data.

The result of independent sample t-test showed no significant difference in level of self-efficacy across gender and marital status among Iranian graduate students. The results of Pearson Correlation revealed positive correlation between optimism and dimensions of social support (family support, friends support and support from significant others) and self-efficacy. Moreover, the result of linear regression discovered that optimism and friends support were two significant predictors of self-efficacy among Iranian graduate students.

The findings of the study provide practical contributions to the field of educational psychology. This study offers valuable information to lecturers, educators, counselors, psychologist about factors which contribute to self-efficacy. Moreover, the result can help authorities develop approaches to improve students’ self-efficacy. The findings also provide social and psychological researchers with some features of personality and behaviors among individuals that need to be probed further.

Keywords:

Self-efficacy, Optimism, Social support, Gender, Marital status, Iranian students.