Student’s Self-efficacy in Organic Chemistry Learning

Abstract

This research is intended to adapt The Sources of Middle School Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, which is applied to different cultural context (as in Indonesian culture) and various age ranges (college students), focusing on organic chemistry learning. Questionnaire is then further used to investigate the self-efficacy beliefs in students from University of Mulawarman, in learning organic chemistry for the very first time. The results of early study in Chemistry Education Undergraduate Study in University of Mulawarman showed that in general, the student’s self-efficacy could be categorized as sufficient. Only about 46.82% of students who believed that they are always going to be successful in organic chemistry learning; meanwhile the other 53.18% is still in doubt of their own abilities in learning organic chemistry; these students sometimes are exposed to stress and feeling nervous during the lesson is conducted. This finding showed the importance of students’ self-efficacy in learning chemistry in university. Self-efficacy does not only impact on students’ perseverance in general chemistry class, but also further to improve their perseverance in later advanced studies and workplace. This urges the need to measure student’s self-efficacy