Gendered Impacts of Code Critiquers on Self-Efficacy in First-Year Engineering Students

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2-11-2025

Department

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering; Department of Psychology and Human Factors; Department of Engineering Fundamentals; Department of Computer Science

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of WebTA, an automated code critiquing tool, on programming self-efficacy among 63 first-year engineering students enrolled in an introductory MATLAB programming course. WebTA provides immediate, formative feedback using a traffic-light system to reinforce good coding practices and address common errors. Students completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using the Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale (CPSES) and the Longitudinal Assessment of Engineering Self-Efficacy (LAESE) to measure changes in self-efficacy. Results revealed significant improvements in programming self-efficacy, particularly among female students, who showed larger gains across CPSES constructs compared to their male peers. However, no significant changes were observed in broader engineering self-efficacy as measured by LAESE. The findings suggest that WebTA effectively enhances programming self-efficacy, narrowing gender disparities, and highlights the potential of immediate feedback tools in promoting equitable outcomes in programming education. Future work should include control groups and diverse samples to further validate these results.

Publication Title

ASEE American Society For Engineering Education

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