The purpose of this article is to bring to the attention of educators interested in student perceptions of the learning environment the concept of self-efficacy. Social learning theorists define perceived self-efficacy as a sense of confidence regarding the performance of specific tasks. Our premise is that student self-efficacy beliefs regarding academic performance can have important implications for improving learning environments and, consequently, student outcomes. We believe that focusing on students' academic self-efficacy could alter student perceptions of the learning environment. Unlike most beliefs systems, which can be highly personal, academic self-efficacy is generally a belief that is addressable in a classroom context. Therefore, understanding more about the reciprocal relationship between the learning environment and students' academic self-efficacy beliefs should be a fruitful focus for learning environment research.