Trainers‟ Self-Efficacy and Performance in Universities in Ghana: The Mediating Role of Trainer Preparation

Abstract

Self-efficacy studies examining employee trainers‟ training room management, instruction and trainee engagement self-efficacies and their performance is overlooked in the literature. Also, though preparation is touted as vital in the self-efficacy – performance nexus, it has not been given much attention especially in relation to employee trainers. This current study, therefore, examined the mediating role played by trainer preparation in the effect trainer self-efficacy has on trainer performance in universities in Ghana. Using a census, data was collected from 154 employee trainers in two universities namely, the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba. In testing the hypotheses, a partial least square structural equation modelling based on 10,000 bootstrap samples was employed and the BCa CI was used to establish the significance of the hypotheses. Additionally, an importance performance map analysis (IPMA) was conducted. This study revealed that trainee engagement self-efficacy and instruction self-efficacy have positive and significant effect on trainer performance and trainer preparation. Trainer preparation also had a positively significant effect on trainer performance. Again, it was discovered that trainer preparation played a complementary partial mediating role in the effect trainee engagement selfefficacy and instruction self-efficacy had on trainer performance. It is concluded that generally, trainer self-efficacy has an effect on both trainer preparation and trainer performance. Similarly, trainer preparation has an effect on trainer performance and is also a mediator between trainer selfefficacy and trainer performance.