Measurements of Self-Efficacy in Engineering Graphics Students: An Examination of Factors Impacting Student Outcomes in an Introductory Engineering Graphics Course

摘要

This dissertation is intended to examine the effect of self-efficacy in engineering graphics, a domain which lacks comprehensive study with respect to a construct researchers have demonstrated has a significant impact on achievement, persistence, and outcomes. An introductory undergraduate engineering graphics course was surveyed over four semesters to acquire the data analyzed. This dissertation examines self-efficacy in engineering graphics education with three distinct studies to gain insight into the effect of three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy in an engineering graphics course.;The first article examines a three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy instrument for evidence of reliability and validity, and assesses the individual items using an existing dataset of middle and high school students. Demographic differences were also examined and no differences in self-efficacy scores between males and females were found in the study.;The second article presents the methods and findings of the psychometric investigation using a population of 503 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory engineering graphics course. The Three-Dimensional Modeling Self-Efficacy scale examined in this study was found to have strong evidence of reliability and validity and an exploratory factor analysis revealed a single factor structure underlying the instrument. This research adds to the literature evidence toward the validation of a domain-specific instrument for use in engineering graphics education.;The third article examines gender differences in self-efficacy among engineering students in an undergraduate introductory engineering graphics course. Self-efficacy is directly linked to persistence in both college and career and an area of study lacking in engineering graphics education research. Research has shown that women in engineering education perform on par academically but have significantly lower levels 0f self-efficacy. This research confirms that these trends extend into engineering graphics, a required subject for many, if not most, students pursuing engineering degrees.;In aggregate, these manuscripts provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the Three-Dimensional Modeling Self-Efficacy scale used in this study and contributes this evidence to the field of engineering graphics which lacks a domain specific self-efficacy instrument. This dissertation also provides evidence confirming that the gender gap issues present in engineering education generally are present in engineering graphics education as well.