This research aimed to verify the mediation effects of academic self-efficacy on the relation between parenting attitude perceived by middle school students and self-directed learning. For this research, parental bonding instrument-Korean version, academic self-efficacy and self-directed learning was conducted with 452 students of middle schools in Busan & Gyungsangdo. Pearson''s correlation analysis was conducted, using SPSS Ver. 20.0 program, to find the relation in major variables, and multiple regression analysis was used to find the influence on variables. To find the mediation effects, this research used hierarchical regression analysis and the mediation effects was verified by Sobel Test.
The result was summarized as below. First, middle school student''s perception of parenting attitude as the parental care had positive correlation with academic self-efficacy and self-directed learning. Father''s overprotection had negative correlation, on the other hand, mother''s overprotection had positive correlation with academic self-efficacy and self-directed learning. Academic self-efficacy had significantly positive correlation with self-directed learning. Second, middle school student''s perception of parenting attitude as father''s and mother''s care had a meaningful effect on academic self-efficacy and self-directed learning. Third, academic self-efficacy of a middle school student had a meaningful effect on self-directed learning. Lastly, academic self-efficacy mediated partly in the relation of parental care and self-directed learning.
The conclusion of this research based on the result is that a middle school student had better academic self-efficacy when he felt that the parenting attitude was compassionate and friendly, and academic self-efficacy, as a mediating effect, lead him to make better self-directed learning. This study had meaning of showing that the meaningful relation was found among parenting attitude, self-directed learning and academic self-efficiency, and academic self-efficiency was the major variable mainly being used as a key to raise self-directed learning. According to this study, it suggest a future study to develop a program for the improvement of academic self efficiency.

Key words: parenting attitude, self-directed learning, academic self-efficacy