Volume 13, Issue 5 (May 2026), Pages: 63-72

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 Original Research Paper

Psychological capital as a predictor of perceived self-efficacy among Al-Quds Open University students

 Author(s): 

Iyad Ishtaya ¹, Ethar Thabatah ^2, *

 Affiliation(s):

¹Faculty of Educational Sciences, Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine
²Department of Psychological and Educational Counseling, Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0067-8352

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.05.007

 Abstract

This study examines how the components of psychological capital—hope, resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy—predict perceived self-efficacy among students at Al-Quds Open University in Palestine. A correlational predictive design was used, and data were collected from a convenience sample of 222 students at the Ramallah and Al-Bireh branch during the summer semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. The Psychological Capital Scale and the Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, both with acceptable validity and reliability, were applied. The results showed high levels of psychological capital (M = 4.12, SD = 0.47) and perceived self-efficacy (M = 3.86, SD = 0.44). There were significant gender differences in perceived self-efficacy in favor of females, while no significant differences were found based on faculty or academic level. Regression analysis indicated that hope, resilience, and optimism were significant predictors of perceived self-efficacy, explaining 32.2% of its variance, whereas the self-efficacy component of psychological capital was not a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of developing positive psychological resources, especially hope, resilience, and optimism, to improve students’ self-efficacy. It is recommended that counseling and educational programs include interventions that strengthen these resources to support students’ motivation, adaptability, and well-being in open learning environments.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Psychological capital, Perceived self-efficacy, University students, Predictive factors, Open learning

 Article history

Received 16 November 2025, Received in revised form 20 April 2026, Accepted 5 May 2026

 Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Al-Quds Open University for supporting this research. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study adhered to established ethical research standards. Participation was voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. The anonymity and confidentiality of all respondents were strictly maintained throughout the research process, and no personally identifiable information was collected. 

 Citation:

Ishtaya I and Thabatah E (2026). Psychological capital as a predictor of perceived self-efficacy among Al-Quds Open University students. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(5): 63-72

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