Qualitative analysis of students’ perceptions of their self-efficacy and learning experiences

Students’ perceptions of their confidence in their ability to complete a task, known as self-efficacy, affects student effort and persistence (Bandura, 1977). Self-efficacy increases with improvements in learning methods and is a good predictor for success (Zimmerman, 2000). Classroom dynamics also impact students’ self-efficacy by allowing for different kinds of self-efficacy opportunities (Sawtelle, Brewe, Goertzen, Kramer, 2012). Previous research indicates that self-efficacy is context-specific (Bong Skaalvik, 2003) and that male and female students benefit from different sources of self-efficacy (Zeldin Pajares, 2000; Sawtelle, Brewe, Kramer, 2012). In this study, we analyzed interviews from 12 students enrolled in a flipped integral calculus course to understand their perceptions of self-efficacy and how these perceptions impact their learning experiences. Findings reveal that experiences in previous math courses, particularly high school, impacted students’ perceptions of their self-efficacy in math both positively and negatively, active learning increased students’ confidence in their ability to do math from their perspective, and verbal persuasion (implicit encouragement) increased students’ confidence and was seen as a helpful way to learn.