Furthermore, an exploratory factor analysis of the students’ questionnaire responses identified
five clusters of items (factors) that indicated how the students conceptualized the items: general
mathematics self-efficacy, grade anxiety, mathematics self-efficacy on assignments, mathematics
for students’ futures, and self-efficacy and anxiety in class. On the general mathematics self
efficacy factor, students who had passed their most recent precalculus exam were found to have
higher mathematics self-efficacy and lower anxiety than students who had failed their most
recent precalculus exam, providing additional evidence of construct validity