High School Graphics Experience Influencing the Self-Efficacy of First-Year Engineering Students in an Introductory Engineering Graphics Course

Authors

  • Riccardo Metraglia University of Brescia
  • Valerio Villa University of Brescia
  • Gabriele Baronio University of Brescia
  • Riccardo Adamini University of Brescia

Abstract

Today's students enter engineering colleges with different technical backgrounds and prior graphics experience. This may due to their high school of provenience, which can be technical or non-technical. The prior experience affects students’ ability in learning and hence their motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. This study intended to evaluate the role of prior high school graphics experience in first-year engineering students' self-efficacy beliefs in an introductory engineering graphics course. It also intended to evaluate the relationship between such freshmen's self-efficacy beliefs and their performance. Two assessment instruments were used in this study. The first is the eight-item Course Interest Survey (CIS) Confidence subscale, which was used to assess self-efficacy beliefs. The second is a multiple choice questionnaire designed on the course topics, which was used to assess performance. Ninety-nine students of the University of Brescia (Italy) participated in the experiment. Significant differences in self-efficacy were found between engineering freshmen from the technical high school versus engineering freshmen from the non-technical high school. A significant relationship between self-efficacy and performance was found only for engineering freshmen from the technical high school.

Author Biographies

Riccardo Metraglia, University of Brescia

Riccardo Metraglia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Engineering Design in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Brescia. He currently works in industry as a trainer of field service engineers. Metraglia specializes in research focused on developing teaching strategies and authentic assessment tools for engineering graphics education. He also has curriculum research in visual communication and product design.

Valerio Villa, University of Brescia

Valerio Villa is an Associate Professor of design methods for industrial engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Brescia. He currently teaches graduate courses in engineering graphics and technical documentation. He previously trained high school teachers on the strategies to effectively teach engineering graphics. Villa has worked in both industry and education. His research areas focus on pedagogy and authentic assessment for engineering education. He also has curriculum research and development experiences in designing special machines and mechanical devices for scientific research.

Gabriele Baronio, University of Brescia

Gabriele Baronio is an Assistant Professor of design methods for industrial engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Brescia. He currently teaches engineering graphics to undergraduate mechatronics engineering students. Baronio previously held training courses to high school teachers on methods of teaching computer-aided-design. His research areas focus on tools for assessment in engineering graphics education and on designing aids for disabled people. He also has curriculum research in mechanical devices for scientific research.

Riccardo Adamini, University of Brescia

Riccardo Adamini is a Full Professor of applied mechanics in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Brescia. Adamini is a member of the board for quality assurance in higher education of the University of Brescia. He specializes in the improvement of IT services and management of electronic information to support the learning process in engineering education.

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Issue

Vol. 79 No. 3 (2015): Fall

Section

Feature Articles

License

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