Self-efficacy and subjective task values in relation to choice, effort, persistence, and continuation in engineering: an Expectancy-value theory perspective

ABSTRACT

Guided by Expectancy Value Theory (EVT), we investigated the association of students’ engineering self-efficacy and subjective task values (attainment, intrinsic, utility and cost) to four achievement-related behaviours: choice to take more engineering courses, effort in academic tasks, persistence to complete engineering tasks in the face of difficulties, and continuation in the field of engineering. Participants included 163 engineering college students from a large southern metropolitan university in the United States. Bivariate correlations and multiple hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the relationships among variables. Results showed that engineering self-efficacy and subjective task values (except cost) were positively associated with achievement behaviours respectively. However, once the set of subjective task values were entered in the regression models, self-efficacy did not explain significant unique variance for any of the achievement-related behaviours. Intrinsic interest emerged as the most consistent predictor of achievement-related behaviours when controlling for self-efficacy and the other four task value dimensions.

KEYWORDS:

• Engineering subjective task value
• self-efficacy
• expectancy value theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Fan Wu is Assessment and Evaluation Analyst for the Cougar Initiative to Engage (CITE) at the University of Houston. Dr. Wu received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences from the University of Houston. Her research interests include motivation theories, STEM education, and addictive behaviors. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, exercising, and movies.

Dr. Weihua Fan is an associate professor in the Department of Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Texas. She obtained her PH.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation. Her research interests are latent trait models and their applications on educational, health and psychological issues. She has published articles in Assessment, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Journal of Experimental Education, Educational Psychology and Multivariate Behavioral Research.

Dr. Consuelo Arbona is a professor in the Department of Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Texas. She obtained her PH.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Department of Counseling Psychology. Her research interests include issues of ethnic identity, minority stress and acculturation in relation to psychological adjustment and career development with a focus on Latina/o populations. In her spare time she enjoys movies, traveling, friends and family.

Dr. Diana de la Rosa-Pohl is an instructional associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, Texas. She obtained her Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction as well as her Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston. Her research interests are motivation, engagement and student success barriers in STEM students, particularly with underserved students.