Journal of General Education and Humanities
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): February

A Learning Climate that Supports Autonomy as a Driver of Students’ Self-Efficacy in Economics Learning

Ensar, Imey Indayanti (Unknown)
Ahman, Eeng (Unknown)
Rohmana, Yana (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
11 Dec 2025

Abstract

In the learning process, students’ beliefs in their own abilities do not form spontaneously; instead, they develop through experiences shaped by classroom dynamics and the quality of pedagogical interaction. Low self-efficacy is often a major obstacle to economic learning, especially when students encounter material that requires conceptual analysis and numerical skills. To understand how such self-beliefs are constructed in real classroom contexts, this study explores students’ subjective experiences of interpreting an autonomy-supportive learning climate and how this climate strengthens their self-efficacy. The research employed a qualitative approach using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design and involved six grade XI social science students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and documentation, and were analyzed following IPA procedures. The findings generated four key themes: (1) teacher-provided autonomy that fosters confidence through opportunities for student choice; (2) verbal encouragement that helps students interpret their abilities positively; (3) small mastery experiences that serve as internal validation of competence; and (4) a positive classroom atmosphere that provides psychological safety for active participation and exploration. These results emphasize that self-efficacy development is a socio-psychological process influenced by emotional states, interpersonal support, and meaningful learning experiences. The study highlights the importance of creating a learning climate responsive to students’ psychological needs as an effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing self-efficacy in economics learning.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

gehu

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Mathematics Other

Description

The Journal of General Education and Humanities (GEHU) is a peer-reviewed scholarly online journal. The GEHU is published quarterly in February, May, August, and November. The GEHU is a non-profit journal whose publication is free of charge. The articles should be original, unpublished, and not ...