The Relationships of Taiwanese College Students’ Conceptions, Approaches, and Selfefficacy to Learning Civil Engineering in a Flipped Classroom

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among Taiwanese college students’ conceptions of learning engineering, approaches to learning engineering, and self-efficacy of learning engineering. Three questionnaires: the Conceptions of Learning Engineering questionnaire (COLE), the Approaches to Learning Engineering questionnaire (ALE), and Self-efficacy of learning engineering (SELE) were used to gathered data from 111 college students majoring in Engineering in Taiwan. The analysis of correlational, stepwise regression, and multiple regression analysis results support that students with lower-level conceptions (LC) of learning engineering tend to display surface motive and surface approaches to learning engineering. Testing was the only significant COLE predictors explaining the surface motive, surface strategy of the ALE. While students’ higher-level COLE (collaboration and engineering learning) positively related to their SELE, their SELE also foster students higher-level COLE. In addition, students’ “Engineering” conception could significantly and positively predict their SELE, no matter they possess higher-level or lower level of COLE.