scholarly journals Effects of High School Dual-Credit Introduction to Engineering Course on First-year Engineering Student Self-efficacy and the Freshman Experience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jill Rogers ◽  
Amy Rogers ◽  
James Baygents
2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lolly Jean C. Simbulas

The determinants of students’ academic performance caught the attention of many scholars for many years now. Among other factors, self-efficacy proved to be an important predictor of academic performance. In an educational context, self-efficacy refers to students’ expectations about their ability to complete academic tasks successfully. Learners, who are unsure of their ability to complete the task, often give up when they encounter difficulties. This study tested the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performances in Algebra among first-year private non-sectarian high school students. The research design was descriptive- correlation survey method that utilizes a modified tool in Algebra self-efficacy scale in order to gather data from 163 first-year students from different high schools in Davao City. The academic performance measured in this study was based on students’ third-quarter grades. Data were treated using Mean and Pearson Product - Moment Coefficient of Correlation. The results of the study indicated that the level of students’ self–efficacy on Motivational Strategies, Cognitive Strategies, Resource Management, and Self-Regulated Learning is high. Furthermore, students’ level on academic performance in Algebra is satisfactory. Self-efficacy was not significantly related to academic performance in Algebra. The study recommends using a standardized test in algebra to measure students’ academic performance and with a bigger sample proportionate to the population of each school.Keywords— Mathematics Education, self–efficacy, academic performance, algebra, first year students, private non-sectarian, descriptive-correlational design, Davao City, Philippines


Author(s):  
Lauren Dent ◽  
Patricia Maloney ◽  
Tanja Karp

Service-learning presents exciting new ways for students to enhance their learning.  Educators and scholars agree that service-learning is connected to self-efficacy, which affects student performance.  This research tests the development of self-efficacy in students enrolled in service-learning and traditional sections of a first-year engineering course. Using a previously developed metric, the Engineering Skills Assessment (ESA), students enrolled in service-learning (SL) and “traditional” (non-SL) sections quantified self-efficacy on 11 skills previously deemed important for engineering.  Student responses were compared between SL and non-SL students at the beginning and end of the semester.  Analysis of the collected data using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) grouped self-efficacy ratings for the 11 skills into three meaningful constructs: (1) Job-related skills (2) Interpersonal skills and (3) Life skills.  Mean self-efficacy scores were significantly better at the end of the course for non-SL students in all areas and for SL students in four of the 11 skills and two of the three constructs.  Self-efficacy growth was significantly higher for non-SL students, which may be due to the Dunning-Kruger effect.  However, similar percentages of both populations self-reported that their skills were improved at the end of the semester due to the class.  This research also supports the use of the ESA as a reliable psychometric tool to evaluate student self-efficacy and its relationship to service-learning.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine LeBlanc

The purpose of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study is to investigate the effects of EFL reading circles on Japanese high school students’ reading self-efficacy and reading anxiety. The participants (N = 316), first-year students at a Japanese coeducational high school, participated in regular reading circles over the course of one academic year. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires measuring reading self-efficacy, reading anxiety, and attitudes towards reading circles. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate changes in reading self-efficacy and anxiety. Reading self-efficacy was shown to improve significantly over the course of the academic year, while reading anxiety significantly decreased. Reasons for these changes are discussed. この特定の被験者に対する継続的実験研究の目的は、日本の高校生の英文読解に対する自己効力感と不安感に、EFLリーディングサークルがどのような効果をもたらすかについて調査することである。316人の被験者は日本の男女共学の高校一年生であり、1年間を通して定期的にリーディングサークルに参加した。定量的データは、読解における自己効力感、不安感、そしてリーディングサークルに対する態度を測る質問票から集計されたものである。読解に対する自己効力感と不安感の変化を評価するために反復測定分散分析(ANOVA)が行われた。1年の間に、読解に対する自己効力感は有意に向上し、不安感は有意に減少した。本論では、こういった変化の理由についても論じている。


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Morton ◽  
Amanda Mergler ◽  
Peter Boman

Students making the transition from high school to university often encounter many stressors and new experiences. Many students adjust successfully to university; however, some students do not, often resulting in attrition from the university and mental health issues. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the effects that optimism, self-efficacy, depression, and anxiety have on an individual's life stress and adaptation to university. Eighty-four first-year, full-time students from the Queensland University of Technology (60 female, 24 male) who had entered university straight from high school completed the study. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their levels of optimism, self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, perceived level of life stress and adaptation to university. In line with predictions, results showed that optimism, depression, and anxiety each had a significant relationship with students’ perceived level of stress. Furthermore, self-efficacy and depression had a significant relationship with adaptation to university. We conclude that students with high levels of optimism and low levels of depression and anxiety will adapt better when making the transition from high school to university. In addition, students with high levels of self-efficacy and low levels of depression will experience less life stress in their commencement year of university. The implications of this study are outlined.


Author(s):  
Christine A. Toh ◽  
Connor S. Disco ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller

Product dissection activities are widely practiced in engineering education as a means of increasing student learning and understanding of core engineering concepts. While recent efforts in this area of research have sought to develop and utilize virtual dissection tools in order to reduce and mitigate the costs of physical dissection activities, little data exists on how virtual dissection impacts student learning and understanding. This lack of data makes it difficult to draw conclusions on the utility of virtual dissection tools for enhancing engineering instruction. In this paper we present the results of a controlled experiment conducted with first-year engineering students developed to examine the impact of virtual dissection on engineering student learning and self-efficacy. Our results revealed that student learning appeared to be unaffected through the use of virtual dissection environments. However, electro-mechanical self-efficacy gains were smaller for students who performed virtual dissection compared to students who performed physical dissection. These results add to our knowledge of the impact that virtual dissection tools can have on student learning and understanding and enable us to develop recommendations and guidelines for improving the effectiveness of these tools in engineering education.


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