(Post last updated June 23, 2022)
Review panel summary
The Effort Beliefs in Chemistry is a 6-item instrument scored on a 5-point Likert scale. It is designed to measure the degree to which students believe their effort will lead to positive outcomes in their chemistry courses. It has been used at one institution with students recruited from first-year undergraduate chemistry lecture [2] and laboratory courses [1]. The validity and reliability of the data generated using the instrument has been examined by the original authors. Response process validity evidence was collected by interviewing undergraduate students, who commented on the readability of items and their reasoning of answer choice [1]. Effort belief scores were found to be positively correlated with final grade percentage, which provides some evidence of validity based on relations to other variables [1]. Internal structure validity evidence is provided through results from a confirmatory factor analysis, which suggests a 1-factor model [1]. Single administration reliability was estimated using coefficient alpha [1, 2].
Recommendations for use
Based on the attributional theory of motivation that effort is tied to conceptions of ability, the Effort Beliefs in Chemistry instrument is designed to measure the degree to which students believe their effort will lead to positive outcomes in their chemistry course. Validity and reliability evidence support the use of the instrument to measure this aspect of motivation of undergraduate students in first-year laboratory and lecture courses [1, 2].
Details from panel review
The scale was originally designed and administered as a 9-item scale, but three items were dropped based on factor analysis results (i.e., low factor loadings). The decision to drop two of these three items was also supported by response process interview data and the modification indices for the items. Therefore, it is recommended that the instrument be used in its revised 6-item form.
Effort belief scores were found to be positively correlated with self-efficacy, interest, and course performance [2]. However, in a multiple regression analysis, effort beliefs scores did not account for a significant amount of variance in course grade [2]. Single administration reliability for the revised 6-item scale was estimated using coefficient alpha, which was reported as above 0.77 for all time points including cross-validation in the development study [1]. A follow-up study reported coefficient alpha values of 0.68 at time 1 and 0.83 at time 2 [2].
References
[1] Ferrell, B., & Barbera, J. (2015). Analysis of students’ self-efficacy, interest, and effort beliefs in general chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(2), 318-337. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RP00152D
[2] Ferrell, B., Phillips, M.M., & Barbera, J. (2016). Connecting achievement motivation to performance in general chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 17(4), 1054-1066. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RP00148C