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making up this fac<strong>to</strong>r, while 22.4% of <strong>the</strong> first-year students “strongly agree” <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

well-suited for <strong>the</strong>ir choice of college major, nearly 20% are unsure or disagree with this<br />

statement; while 30.8% “strongly agree” that “Engineering is <strong>the</strong> right major for me”,<br />

37.5% are unsure or disagree with <strong>the</strong> statement.<br />

With respect <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> most important of <strong>the</strong> fac<strong>to</strong>rs of engineering self-confidence,<br />

males enter with more self-confidence that <strong>the</strong>y belong in engineering and that <strong>the</strong>y will<br />

stay with <strong>the</strong> major and <strong>the</strong> career (Table IIB-1). Their mean score on this fac<strong>to</strong>r is<br />

significantly higher than that of <strong>the</strong> female students, and <strong>the</strong>ir answers <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> individual<br />

indica<strong>to</strong>rs reflect this same gender gap. Males express more confidence that engineering<br />

is <strong>the</strong> right major for <strong>the</strong>m, that <strong>the</strong>y are well-suited for <strong>the</strong> major and <strong>the</strong> career, and <strong>the</strong>y<br />

are very unlikely <strong>to</strong> drop out before finishing <strong>the</strong> engineering degree.<br />

TABLE IIB-1<br />

ENGINEERING SELF-CONFIDENCE OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS BY SEX<br />

AND YEAR IN PROGRAM<br />

Self-Confidence<br />

Fac<strong>to</strong>r<br />

(Mean Scores on Self-Confidence Fac<strong>to</strong>rs)<br />

First-Year<br />

Males<br />

First-Year<br />

Females<br />

Total First-<br />

Year<br />

Students<br />

Students at<br />

All Levels<br />

CONF ENG STAY -.281 -.654 -.356 .000<br />

CONF ENG ABIL .123 -.241 .049 .000<br />

CONF ACAD ABIL -.087 .310 -.007 .000<br />

CONF COMM<br />

SKILL<br />

-.110 .112 -.113 .000<br />

(n) (79) (20) (99) (324)<br />

As <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> second fac<strong>to</strong>r, first-year students enter with confidence in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

engineering abilities that is close <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> mean for all students. Again, however, males<br />

IIB-79

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