The following goals were established to guide this project in its
investigation of engineering students’ efficacy beliefs: (1) quantify the efficacy
beliefs of first- and second-year engineering students, (2) qualitatively
investigate the experiences and perceptions that lead to students’ formations of these beliefs, (3) explore the presence of any gender differences in students’ level of efficacy and mode of efficacy belief formation, and (4) study any variations in level of efficacy and mode of efficacy formation based on the
students’ year in the engineering curriculum.