PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Gender and discipline specific differences in mathematical self-efficacy of incoming students at a large public university
Page: 605
This study investigates differences in mathematical self-efficacy and outcome expectations of 3107 incoming students enrolled in introductory level mathematics or statistics courses at a land grant university in the Midwest. Students were grouped by discipline (STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities) and by gender within each discipline. All students enrolled in an introductory mathematics or statistics course during their first semester at the institution were surveyed about their perceived mathematical self-efficacy and outcome expectations at the beginning of that semester. Our results suggest that discipline specific differences are dependent on the definition of STEM majors, namely distinguishing between math intensive and non-math intensive STEM majors. After accounting for this distinction gender differences in mathematical self-efficacy and outcome expectations disappear.