Mathematics self-efficacy in introductory physics.

Abstract

Since the 1960’s self-efficacy has been a topic of much research within the fields of psychology and education. Defined as peoples’ beliefs about their ability to perform specific tasks, it has been shown to positively correlate with performance in the respective tasks. This study extended the research by investigating the effect of students’ Perceived Mathematics Self-Efficacy (PMSE) in introductory physics at a liberal arts college. We found that PMSE was not significantly correlated with performance on the exams indicating that students who think they are bad at math have an equal chance at succeeding in the course. However, an observed correlation between in class conceptual questions and PMSE is cause for further investigation.