Cognitive mediation by the instructor and student self-efficacy: a study in university education

Abstract

The cognitive mediation provided by the instructor in the classroom is an element that can enhance students' knowledge and various technical and personal skills. However, there is little empirical evidence on this topic within the framework of engineering education. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to examine the relationship between the instructor's cognitive mediation in class and the development of self-efficacy in engineering students. The research applied principles of the quantitative approach, associated the variables within a correlational scope, and did not manipulate variables in a non-experimental design. The effective sample consisted of 163 engineering students from a private university in Lima, aged between 18 and 45 years (M = 26.31, SD = 6.956), of which 103 were male and 60 were female. The results indicated a positive, significant, and strong relationship between the instructor's cognitive mediation and student self-efficacy ingeniería (r= 0.530, p< .001, Z=0.590). Male students scored higher in their perception of cognitive mediation, academic self-efficacy, and in the input and interaction dimensions. Students aged 31 to 45 and those who work and study simultaneously presented higher scores in both variables and their dimensions. No significant differences were found according to the field of engineering; however, regarding the study modality, virtual students stood out in academic self-efficacy and its dimensions.