Assessing the Self Efficacy and Spatial Ability of Engineering Students from Multiple Disciplines

Abstract

Spatial ability, such as the ability to correctly visualize three dimensional objects when they are represented in two dimensions (such as in ComputerAided Design (CAD) software or in a detailed part drawing), is an essential skill for engineers. Research has shown that spatial ability is positively correlated with retention and performance of students within other disciplines which rely on spatial ability, (e.g. chemistry). However, whether spatial ability affects the retention of students in engineering has been disputed in the literature. Furthermore, research has not yet been conducted which assesses the relationship between self efficacy, that is the student's confidence, with respect to spatial skills and retention. In this paper, results of both spatial ability, using a subset of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R), and self efficacy, using a developed test for this research, will be presented for over 200 students from five different engineering disciplines. Statistically significant differences were found for gender, type of CAD training, class standing and whether or not the student is declared or undeclared in engineering with respect to self efficacy and/or spatial ability.

A processing advantage associated with analytic perceptual tendencies: European Americans outperform Asians on multiple object tracking

“…A t-test found that Americans successfully tracked more objects on average than Asians, t(63) = 2.71, p b .01, Cohen's d = .68; for Americans, M = 4.22, SD = 1.21; for Indians, M =3.50, SD= .86. We next conducted an ANCOVA that tested whether this cultural difference is robust after controlling for a number of factors that have been previously shown to influence attentional capacity: gender (Feng et al, 2007), field of study (humanities/social sciences = −1; undecided= 0; science/engineering = 1; Towle et al, 2005), and number of hours of action video games per week played in the past year (Green & Bavelier, 2006). Neither gender, F(1, 60) = Fig.…”

A Structural Equation Model Explaining 8th Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievements

“…Studies conducted in the relevant field have indicated that self-efficacy belief has positive and significant relationships with spatial ability (Kinsey, Towle, O'Brien, & Bauer, 2008;Towle et al, 2005), reasoning skills (Lawson, Banks, & Logvin, 2007), problem solving skills (Güven & Cabakcor, 2012;Pajares, 1996;Pajares & Kranzler, 1995;Pajares & Miller, 1994), and mathematics achievement (Alcı et al, 2010;Chen, 2003;Chen & Zimmerman, 2007;Lent, Lopez, & Bieschke, 1991;Lopez, Lent, Brown, & Gore, 1997;Pietsch et al, 2003;Usher, 2009;Üredi & Üredi, 2005;Williams & Williams, 2010). For example, in a study conducted by Towle et al (2005), the researchers found a positive and significant correlation between one's self-efficacy belief and spatial ability. Pajares and Kranzler (1995), via the path analysis model that they developed, revealed that self-efficacy has a significant effect on mathematical problem solving skills.…”

Pre‐Collegiate Factors Influencing the Self‐Efficacy of Engineering Students

“…There also have been studies specifically investigating the role of self-efficacy in engineering education (Ponton, Edmister, Ukeiley, & Seiner, 2001), measuring engineering students' self-efficacy Marra, Bogue, Rodgers, & Shen, 2007;Towle et al, 2005), increasing students' self-efficacy (Hutchinson, Follman, Sumpter, & Bodner, 2006;Ponton, 2002), and sources of students' self-efficacy . In the studies looking specifically at the sources of students' self-efficacy, the focus has been on what factors in the engineering education programs were having an impact on the students.…”