The adult student undergraduate population is growing at the fastest rate on campuses in the United States and many undergraduates are still developing adult learning characteristics. Historically, college courses are generally not designed to meet the needs of adult learner or foster adult learning characteristics in developing adult learners. Is the Socratic Dialogue method an effective instructional strategy that can help meet the educational and social needs such as self-directedness, self-efficacy, and autonomy of the adult learner? This quantitative study will explore the relationship of self-efficacy to the lecture method and Socratic method in adult learners. A modified general self efficacy exam will be used on students taking lecture based science courses and Physics by Inquiry (Socratic method) courses at the beginning and the end of these courses. The mean scores of the treatment and control group will be analyzed to determine if there are any significant differences in students attitudes about their ability to learn (self-efficacy). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]