The Intellectual Sense of Belonging and Self-efficacy in the Introduction to Computer Science Courses at University of Brasilia in Brazil

Abstract

Research Full Paper Most top universities in Brazil are public government institutions and tuition free. However, until recently, access to these institutions has been limited by extremely difficult entrance exams. The high standards at public universities are in contrast to the k-12 educational system, where public schools fail to prepare students for the exams, with only some of the private schools offering adequate preparation. In 2012, the Higher Education System in Brazil changed: the Quota Law was implemented for all 59 federal public government universities. This law reserves 50% of the enrollments for the public high-school students with the best grades in the entrance exams. Also, from this 50% allocation of places for students from the public high-school system, half are allocated to students from low-income families (up to one and a half times the minimum monthly salary), black and indigenous students. In this context, this paper addresses the research question: How does the intellectual sense of belonging and self-efficacy of the quota students compare to that the non-quota students’ taking Introduction to Computer Science courses? We devised a questionnaire for students enrolled in the first programming course of different majors at a top-10 Brazilian university. This paper presents an analysis of the responses that indicates some differences in self-efficacy perceptions between the students admitted through the quota system and the ones admitted exclusively by their placement in entrance exams.