2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Purpose: This work-in-progress study is an evidence-based practice paper that aims to provide initial validity evidence for an adapted survey instrument used in secondary-level robotics-based engineering education. The instrument includes 10 constructs comprising a total of 50 items. This paper specifically focuses on examining the validity of a robotics-based engineering self-efficacy construct.

Background: The e4usa+FIRST initiative is designed to enhance high school students’ engineering learning through project-based robotics instruction, integrating hands-on design, programming, and problem-solving experiences. Previous studies have examined robotics and engineering education separately, while research examining their integration (e.g., using robotics projects as a vehicle for engineering learning) remains limited. To evaluate the impact of such integrated instruction, we developed a new survey instrument grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and the Computational Thinking (CT) framework to measure students’ engineering design experience and CT-related skills.

Methods: Pre-survey data were collected from 81 high school students across seven participating schools during the 2025-2026 academic year. Students completed an eight-item self-efficacy scale using a 4-point Likert response format. Validity and reliability analyses included descriptive statistics, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using Principal Axis Factoring, and internal consistency reliability estimation using Cronbach’s alpha.

Results: Descriptive results indicated moderate levels of confidence in robotics-based engineering design, with acceptable distributional properties. Factorability tests supported the use of factor analysis (KMO = 0.845; Bartlett’s test p < 0.001). EFA results supported a single-factor structure, with all factor loadings exceeding 0.47. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = 0.85), providing preliminary evidence of convergent validity and reliability.

Next Steps: Future work will further validate the instrument by examining expected relationships among SCCT and CT constructs and testing the stability of the factor structure in larger and more diverse samples, supporting its use in impact-focused robotics-integrated engineering education research.