From Doubt to Drive: How Instructional Modality and Self-Efficacy Shape Motivation in Remedial Spatial Visualization Courses

Beyza Nur Guler; Susan Sajadi; Abdulaziz Alenezi; Diana Bairaktarova

doi:10.3991/ijep.v14i5.46097

Authors

Beyza Nur Guler PhD Student at Virginia Tech
Susan Sajadi Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8511-7467
Abdulaziz Alenezi College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia, USA
Diana Bairaktarova Associate Professor at Virginia Tech https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7895-8652

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v14i5.46097

Keywords:

spatial training, remedial courses, self-efficacy, student motivation, instructional modality

Abstract

Spatial thinking is the foundation for successful problem-solving and critical thinking. Scholars have confirmed that spatial skills are essential tools for problem solving in fields such as engineering, design, physics, and mathematics. Drawing on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, this study investigates the impact of instructional modality, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward a spatial visualization app on student motivation in the context of an engineering remedial spatial visualization course. Our study focused on undergraduate engineering students from two cohorts with different instructional modalities, one in 2019 and the other in 2020. This study employs a quantitative approach, gathering data through questionnaires to measure student motivation, self-efficacy, attitudes toward the app, computer-aided design (CAD) experience, gender, and instructional modality. Our findings indicate that instructional modality significantly influenced student motivation, with online instruction during the pandemic being associated with lower motivation. Furthermore, significant predictors of student motivation were identified as self-efficacy and attitudes towards the app, independent of instructional modality. The findings provide insights into strategies for educators to implement educational technology in their courses while also remaining committed to nurturing student self-efficacy in online and in-person learning.

Author Biographies

Susan Sajadi, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech

Susan Sajadi is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the Department of Engineering Education. She has a Ph.D. in Engineering Education Systems and Design from Arizona State University. She also has a B.S.E. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering and previously worked as a biomedical engineer at WL Gore and other technology companies. In addition, Susan has experience working in STEM education, humanitarian engineering, and corporate social responsibility.

Diana Bairaktarova , Associate Professor at Virginia Tech

Diana Bairaktarova is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education. She is also an affiliate faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a Faculty in the Human-Centered Design at Virginia Tech. Diana has over fifteen years of experience working as a Design and Manufacturing Engineer.

Before joining Virginia Tech, Diana was an assistant professor of engineering practice in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical at the University of Oklahoma. She taught several fundamental and engineering design courses, where the design of artifacts was addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective and implementation of design thinking framework. As an engineer with extensive industry experience and an engineering education researcher with knowledge of how people learn, Bairaktarova alignes her research, teaching, and service with the mission of creating and supporting an innovative and inclusive engineering profession for the 21st century.