Using Mixed Methods to Investigate a Physics Undergraduate Student's Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy, one's confidence in their ability to complete a task, has been shown to be a predictor of students' science performance and persistence. Traditionally, self-efficacy has been studied at the beginning and end of the semester to gain insights into the impacts on students' self-efficacy, which may be influenced by one's memory. To reduce the influence of memory, we designed an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to capture moments from daily life that may threaten or support one's self-efficacy closer to when they occur. To capture such moments, we paired the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) with individualized daily journal reflections. This method allowed us to capture the impact of a breadth of undergraduate experiences, such as coursework, being a learning assistant, or working as an undergraduate researcher in a research lab, on one's self-efficacy. In this talk, we will present a case study examining how participating in these different activities influenced a physics undergraduate student's self-efficacy across several semesters.