Library Use and Academic Self-Efficacy of Engineering Students

Abstract

Previous research has shown that academic self-efficacy is an important predictor of students’ performance in college. Engagement with the academic library may too promote student success, but engineering students may not use the library as much as students in other disciplines. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) how engineering students use the library, and (b) how their library use relates to academic self-efficacy after controlling for demographic factors. I conducted a survey of 414 undergraduate students in the University of Michigan College of Engineering in order to information about students’ engagement with the University of Michigan Library, attitudes towards school and studying reflecting academic self-efficacy, and demographic characteristics such as gender and race. In agreement with the previous studies, I found that engineering students use the library heavily as a place to study but that levels of engagement with other library resources and services are relatively low. In addition, statistically significant differences in library use were detected along lines of gender, race/ethnicity, national origin, and first-generation status. Although I discovered several significant associations among variables measuring library use and academic self-efficacy, these relationships were likely the result of unmeasured confounding factors such as family income and co-curricular participation, and this study provided limited evidence in support of the hypothesis that engagement with the academic library promotes engineering students’ self-efficacy. Recommendations for practice in engineering librarianship are also discussed.