The Self-Efficacy Instrument measures two components of self-efficacy beliefs – self-efficacy for course content and self-efficacy for online technologies. A total of 27, 5-point Likert-scaled items were developed. The first three items (from item #1 to item #3) measuring course content self-efficacy were generated based on Eccles and Wigfield’s (1995) 7-point Likert-scaled items. The last 24 items (from item #4 to item #27) measuring online technologies self-efficacy were developed based on Miltiadou and Yu’s (in press) Online Technologies Self-efficacy Scale (OTSES). Each statement was preceded by the phrase “I feel confident…” For each item, students were asked to indicate their attitude from “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,” “Neutral,” “Agree,” to “Strongly Agree.” Students were asked to select the option “Strongly Disagree” if they did not understand the statement.

The instrument was tested in a pilot study conducted with thirty-two students during Spring 2001. The instrument was uploaded on the Internet and participating students were asked to complete it online. Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s coefficient alpha) showed that the reliability was .87 for the first three items measuring content self-efficacy and .90 for the remaining 24 items measuring online technologies self-efficacy. Sample items include statements such as “I feel confident doing well in this course,” “I feel confident forwarding an e-mail message,” and “I feel confident downloading (saving) a file from discussion area when needed.”

Eccles, J., & Wigfield, A. (1995). In the mind of the actor: The structure of adolescents’ achievement task values and expectancy-related beliefs. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 215-225.

Miltiadou, M., & Yu, C. H. (in press). Validation of the Online Technologies Self-efficacy Scale (OTSES). International Journal of Educational Telecommunications.