This article describes the findings of an action research project which examined the link between academic self-efficacy and the study behaviours of students in a tertiary bridging program at a regional university in Australia. It describes the gap which exists between students’ instruction in, and knowledge of, being a self-directed learner and the enacting of study behaviours which demonstrate that instruction and knowledge. The intervention employed in the study resulted in significant improvements in many areas of academic self-efficacy and study behaviours and demonstrates the effectiveness of the tertiary bridging program in this regard. The appropriateness of using traditional forms of assessment in tertiary bridging programs is discussed.