Self-efficacy measurements: an approach for predicting practice outcomes in continuing education?

This study assessed the usefulness of measurements of self-efficacy in evaluating practice outcomes following a continuing education course in advanced practice pharmacology. Self-efficacy, a central construct in social-cognitive theory, refers to an individual's confidence in being able to perform a specific task to successful completion. The study demonstrated that a valid and reliable measure of self-efficacy could be developed from program objectives and used in conjunction with pre- and post-knowledge measures to gain a broader perspective of learning outcomes. Measurements of self-efficacy was a useful adjunct in post-instruction evaluation and may be a cost-effective alternative to longitudinal impact evaluation.