Figure 3. Self-efficacy survey (SE) results for Fall 2006 (A) and Spring 2007 (B). Students were
asked to rate their confidence in their ability to perform specific scientific tasks on a Likert Scale (-
2=not at all confident; -1=only a little confident; 0=fairly confident; 1=very confident; and 2=totally
confident). Prior to the start of the lab course, students in both lab types reported being fairly to very
confident in their ability to perform scientific tasks and take a scientific approach to activities in daily
life. Students in both labs reported that their confidence in their scientific abilities increased by the
end of the semester. However, ANCOVA results indicate that inquiry lab students reported significantly
lower gains in confidence than traditional lab students (F(1, 293)= 5.56, N=296, p=0.0190).
(***=p