Work in progress - teaching measured along two-dimensions: interpersonal rapport and teaching skill

Approximately 40% of those who begin college with the intention of undertaking engineering do not complete their programs of undergraduate studies indicating that in the case of engineering studies, a central problem is one of persistence. In these classrooms and lecture halls, faculty may, or may not, realize the critical role they play in a student´s decision to persist in engineering studies. Undoubtedly, classroom dynamics may exert tremendous influence on students´ academic persistence or willingness to sustain the necessary effort to excel in their subjects. In Seymour and Hewitt´s book, the high attrition rates for science, math and engineering students is linked to the intimidating nature of the classroom, the dullness of the lecture model and inadequate faculty guidance. To test this previous research, we measure two aspects of effective teaching, interpersonal rapport and teaching skills, on self-efficacy and academic confidence. In the future research, we will build and test a structural equation model to show the relationship of these variables on student performance.