Measuring the impact of a mathematics intervention on student mathematics self-efficacy: Development and application of revised measurement tool

摘要

Research into the effectiveness of a mathematics intervention course for first year engineering students revealed anomalous results in relation to student persistence. While previous studies of performance of college engineering students showed that ACT Math scores were highly linearly predictive of student persistence outcomes, the study in question did not show similar results. The study revealed an interaction between ACT Math and high school GPA for students that completed the course. The results showed an inverse relationship between ACT Math and persistence in college engineering when high school GPA crossed effects were included. It was hypothesized that a change in mathematics self-efficacy may play a role in the improvement in graduation rates of students with above average high school GPAs, but below average ACT Math scores, subsequently named Support Seekers. Support Seekers showed improved graduation rates disproportionately higher than other groups. A new mathematics self-efficacy measurement tool was needed to determine if a change in mathematics self-efficacy occurred as previous iterations of the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) and Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale Revised (MSES-R) were not adequate in showing a change in self-efficacy over time. This paper reviews the development of the newly revised mathematics self-efficacy tool, the effectiveness of the tool and the outcome of the effectiveness of the mathematics intervention course on improving mathematics self-efficacy of freshmen engineering students.