Final answer:
An adult learner with high self-efficacy is most likely to succeed academically. This is due to their positive approach towards challenges and their perseverance in the face of adversity, making them more resilient and committed to success than those with a fixed mindset, fear of failure, or low motivation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the options provided, an adult learner with high self-efficacy would be most likely to succeed academically. Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own abilities to achieve goals and overcome challenges. An individual with high self-efficacy sees obstacles as tasks to be mastered and is committed to their activities, recovering from setbacks more swiftly.
Fixed mindsets, fears of failure, and low motivation are generally associated with a less favorable academic performance. Conversely, someone with a high self-efficacy often has an internal locus of control, which correlates with their belief that they can influence outcomes through their own efforts. This is distinct from an external locus of control, wherein individuals may attribute their successes or failures to outside forces and not their own actions.
Therefore, the self-assured learner who attacks challenges with confidence and perseverance, characteristics stemming from high self-efficacy, stands the best chance of excelling academically over individuals with the other listed traits.