Using Self-Efficacy Theory to Design Arduino Instruction for Novices: A Replication Study

Authors

Donald M. Johnson, University of ArkansasFollow
Michael Pate, Utah State UniversityFollow
Christopher M. Estepp, University of ArkansasFollow
George Wardlow, University of ArkansasFollow

Keywords

Arduino, novices, self-efficacy, teaching and learning

Disciplines

Educational Methods | Engineering Education | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Vocational Education

Abstract

A replication study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of an instructional treatment based on self-efficacy theory when used with novice Arduino microcontroller users. Students (n = 32) in an introductory university agricultural systems technology course participated in a lesson on Arduino microcontrollers, circuit breadboarding, and Arduino programming which included four hands-on practice tasks, designed to provide students with positive mastery, vicarious and social persuasion experiences. Next, students completed a laboratory activity and were provided additional opportunities for mastery, vicarious, and social persuasion experiences. The one-group pretest-posttest design indicated the instructional treatment had significant (p < .001) and large effects in increasing students’ interest in Arduino, breadboarding self-efficacy, programming self-efficacy, and Arduino knowledge. These findings were consistent with the original study and provided additional evidence for self-efficacy theory as an effective model for developing instruction for novice Arduino users. Students’ written comments provided additional insight concerning the instructional treatment.

Recommended Citation

Johnson, D. M., Pate, M., Estepp, C. M., & Wardlow, G. (2023). Using Self-Efficacy Theory to Design Arduino Instruction for Novices: A Replication Study. Journal of Research in Technical Careers, 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.9741/2578-2118.1125