Abstract
First-year chemistry classes typically comprise of a mixture of majors and non-majors. Reports in the literature suggest that students have lower self-efficacy for subjects outside their intending major. Here we report on research that examines changes in chemistry students' chemistry self-efficacy throughout their first year of chemistry study at a New Zealand University. Chemistry self-efficacy was measured at three times throughout the year using the self-efficacy component of the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ). Quantitative data were triangulated with qualitative data obtained from interviews of a cohort of 19 students. The research findings provide insights into the chemistry learning tasks that students feel high and low levels of confidence in.
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Dalgety, J., Coll, R.K. Exploring First-Year Science Students' Chemistry Self-Efficacy. Int J Sci Math Educ 4, 97–116 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-005-1080-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-005-1080-3