The relationships between university students' chemistry laboratory anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy beliefs

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between chemistry laboratory anxiety, chemistry attitudes, and self-efficacy. Participants were 395 university students. Participants completed the Chemistry Laboratory Anxiety Scale, the Chemistry Attitudes Scale, and the Self-efficacy Scale. Results showed that chemistry laboratory anxiety was correlated negatively to chemistry attitudes and to self-efficacy. On the other hand, chemistry attitudes were found to be positively associated with self-efficacy. The path model showed that self-efficacy predicted chemistry laboratory anxiety in a negative way. Also, self-efficacy has a direct and positive effect on chemistry attitudes which in turn affects chemistry laboratory anxiety. Finally, chemistry laboratory anxiety was explained negatively by chemistry attitudes. Results were discussed in the light of literature.