title: Changes in Biology Self-Efficacy during a First-Year University Course.
abstract: Academic self-efficacy encompasses judgments regarding one's ability to perform academic tasks and is correlated with achievement and persistence. This study describes changes in biology self-efficacy during a first-year course. Students (n = 614) were given the Biology Self-Efficacy Scale at the beginning and end of the semester. The instrument consisted of 21 questions ranking confidence in performing biology-related tasks on a scale from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (totally confident). The results demonstrated that students increased in self-efficacy during the semester. High school biology and chemistry contributed to self-efficacy at the beginning of the semester; however, this relationship was lost by the end of the semester, when experience within the course became a significant contributing factor. A proportion of high- and low- achieving (24 and 40%, respectively) students had inaccurate self-efficacy judgments of their ability to perform well in the course. In addition, female students were significantly less confident than males overall, and high-achieving female students were more likely than males to underestimate their academic ability. These results suggest that the Biology Self-Efficacy Scale may be a valuable resource for tracking changes in self-efficacy in first-year students and for identifying students with poorly calibrated self-efficacy perceptions.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia l.ainscough@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ainscough
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Eden
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foulis
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Colthorpe
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zimbardi
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robertson-Dean
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Prasad
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chunduri
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lluka
mesh_terms: D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities