The positive outcomes associated with elevated levels of efficacy beliefs have sparked interest in examining the sources of such beliefs. Mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and psychological state are all crucial for self-efficacy. In this systematic literature review, we examined the characteristics of the accumulated body of research on the sources of mathematics and science self-efficacy in primary and secondary education. The aim was to understand how the reviewed studies contribute to the discussion of students' mathematics and science self-efficacy development. We implemented a comprehensive search strategy for academic databases based on our research questions and inclusion/exclusion criteria, aligning with recommendations for systematic reviews. The analysis included 139 studies, and revealed that the research on mathematics and science self-efficacy development can be divided into three categories. The first category comprises 40 studies that assess Bandura's sources of self-efficacy, while the second includes 30 studies that refer to his sources. By contrast, the 69 studies that comprise the third category do not explicitly measure or discuss Bandura's sources of self-efficacy. The distribution of this research worldwide is clustered—that is, some countries have engaged in more active research and publication on this topic than others. A reliance on quantitative methodologies is evident, whereby ‘construct confusion’ hinders opportunities for direct comparison among studies. While attempts have been made to rate the sources, they are perceived as interconnected and varying between genders. Hence, we adopted a critical stance and highlighted several shortcomings that must be considered when designing future research. © 2025 The Authors.
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