The purpose of this study was to shed light on the role of self-efficacy in enhancing the classroom participation of students at Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in an attempt to improve performance in general. The context of the study was TVET/Further Education and Training (FET) colleges that came into being in South Africa to fill the critical skills gap. The efficiency of TVET colleges in meeting their mandate of developing qualified artisans has continued to be a matter of intellectual debate. This study used Bandura’s theory to explore students’ views on how self-efficacy contributed to their passivity in class, a situation resulting in the poor performance of students. A qualitative research design was used and 30 participants from three TVET College campuses were selected, using a purposeful sampling technique. Data was collected by conducting three focus group interviews and a document analysis. The thematic qualitative data analysis approach was used to analyze the collected qualitative data. The findings of the study established that the low self-efficacy of teachers and students has led to student passivity in class, something that ultimately led to students’ poor performance. Among the recommendations made were the prioritization of professional training programmes for TVET lecturers by the Department of Education and the creation of a conducive teaching and learning space. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
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