USING THE GENERAL SELF-EFFICACY SCALE TO MEASURE ENGINEERING STUDENTS' SELF-EFFICACY IN A PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSE

An important aspect of engineering education is the crucial role it plays in preparing engineering students for the complexities of professional life, especially in relation to the development of self-efficacy. This study examines engineering students' selfefficacy development over the timespan of a semester in a project management course with focus on the impact of study-related employment and gender differences. Using the General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale, data was collected from 103 students at the beginning of the course and 46 students at the end. While the results indicate no significant overall change in self-efficacy throughout the semester, students with study-related jobs reported consistently higher self-efficacy scores, particularly in handling unexpected challenges. Additionally, male students scored higher than their female counterparts. These results suggest that real-world work experience play a crucial role in self-efficacy development for engineering students. Future research should incorporate qualitative methods to further explore the nuances of self-efficacy growth in engineering education.