Factors that influence confidence: Untangling the influences of gender, achievement, and hands-on activities

Many studies have shown the importance of student self-efficacy in engineering retention. This work intends to contribute to the engineering education literature by exploring which student learning experiences are most likely to increase student confidence in engineering skills and if there are differences in these relationships among students of different gender, and achievement level, as measured by high school GPA and ACT Math scores. The study takes place at Louisiana Tech University through the Living WITH the Lab (LWTL) first-year engineering curriculum that serves over 500 students each year. Results indicate that frequency of hands-on activities is important for males and females in building confidence in their engineering skills. For females, however, the relationship is more complex.