Abstract
Engineering graphics education has long been a required component of technology and engineering education at the university level. In middle and high schools, the number of computer-aided design (CAD) programs continue to proliferate and grow. Lacking in the research related to these programs is the effect on non-cognitive factors such as self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a predictor of success and perseverance and is an important consideration in technology and engineering education. This research investigates the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure the three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy among middle and high school students.
 This study found the Three-Dimensional Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale to be a reliable measure within this population with strong evidence of validity. Based on these findings, the scale was revised, and recommendations for future study were made. This research begins to fill a gap not only in research related to engineering graphics self-efficacy but also within a pre-college population, especially those who are historically underrepresented in engineering disciplines, in this case, female students.
Highlights
Middle and high school STEM courses are seeing increased use of computer-aided design (CAD) software to enhance instruction and to incorporate 21st-century skills in the classroom (Katsioloudis & Jones, 2015; Schoembs, 2016)
This study found the Three-Dimensional Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale to be a reliable measure within this population with strong evidence of validity
Researchers collaborated with subject matter experts (SMEs) in graphics communication at a research-intensive, land-grant institution to confirm the existing items were associated with engineering graphics/CAD
Summary
Middle and high school STEM courses are seeing increased use of computer-aided design (CAD) software to enhance instruction and to incorporate 21st-century skills in the classroom (Katsioloudis & Jones, 2015; Schoembs, 2016). High school curricula such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and Engineering by Design (EbD) both explicitly use CAD as part of their courses, and the inclusion of engineering skills and concepts in the Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will only increase the need for students to at least be exposed to CAD in the classroom. The growing prevalence of, and access to, CAD software in K-12 classrooms warrants study into factors that impact student learning and success
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