Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Learning and Motivation, cilt.93, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
This study aimed to develop and validate the Behavioral Uncertainty Response Scale (BURS), investigate the mediating role of behavioral responses to academic uncertainty in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic motivation, and examine potential gender differences in these behavioral responses among high school students. The research employed a cross-sectional design and quantitative methodology. Data were collected using the newly developed BURS along with established measures of academic self-efficacy and academic motivation. Phase 1 involved 403 students who completed the initial BURS item pool for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Phase 2 included 370 students participating in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the factor structure. Phase 3 assessed test-retest reliability with 78 students over a two-week interval. Phase 4 utilized data from 370 students to test the proposed mediation model. The analysis included descriptive statistics, followed by EFA and CFA to identify the scale's psychometric properties, mediation analyses, and independent samples t-tests to test the hypothesized relationships and gender differences. Results confirmed a four-factor structure of the BURS and demonstrated that academic self-efficacy and behavioral responses to uncertainty significantly predicted academic motivation. The results also revealed that students' behavioral responses to uncertainty mediated the relationship between academic self-efficacy and motivation. The study highlighted certain gender-based tendencies: while female students often turned to others for support in times of uncertainty, male students typically responded with a stronger sense of persistence when facing academic uncertanity. These observations point to the importance of helping students develop adaptive ways of coping in unpredictable educational settings. They also offer meaningful direction for teachers and education leaders aiming to create environments that genuinely support and sustain student motivation.