Abstract
Recent college graduates face challenges when entering the workforce related to confidence with their job-related skills. An application and test of self-efficacy theory using information systems (IS) projects and students' perceptions of their programming skills resulted in students' positively changing their perceptions of their programming ability. The perceptions were impacted by changes in intellectual interest and encouragement of peers and mediated by changes in outcome expectancy. Additionally, changes in self-efficacy impacted changes in perceptions of programming skills mediated by changes in outcome expectancy. The empirical results validate, at least partially, self-efficacy theory in the context of programming and IS projects. Results are discussed along with conclusions and directions for future research. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]