His presentation shred the findings from a four-year study of CHEM-103 General Chemistry I students and their self-efficacy. Educators define self-efficacy as the belief in one鈥檚 own capabilities to succeed or reach a higher level of performance and control over one鈥檚 own functioning.
Cheung鈥檚 research concluded that the self-efficacy of CHEM-103 students improved overall by the end of the semester, and that they had increased confidence in their ability to succeed in chemistry.
According to Cheung, this increase in students鈥 self-efficacy in chemistry has long-lasting benefits. 鈥淚mproving students鈥 chemistry self-efficacy,鈥 Cheung said, 鈥渋s part and parcel of improving students鈥 motivation, retention rate and graduation rate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).鈥
Cheung also noted that General Chemistry is often viewed as a gateway course because of its high rates of withdrawal or failure.