Self-efficacy mediates but does not moderate the relationship between grit and L2 achievement

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: The current study examined whether self-efficacy could mediate and moderate the relationship between grit (i.e. perseverance of effort) and second/foreign (L2) achievement. Methodology: Participants involved 535 year-two students (M age = 16.15, SD = .63, females = 59%) from a senior middle school in mainland China. Students’ grit, self-efficacy, and L2 (English) achievement were measured. Multilevel structural equation modeling with latent interaction was used to explore the relationships among these three variables. Findings: The results showed that grit positively predicted self-efficacy, which positively predicted L2 achievement. Meanwhile, the interaction produced a nonsignificant relation to L2 achievement. We concluded that self-efficacy mediated but did not moderate the relationship between grit and L2 achievement. Originality: Grit and self-efficacy have been recognized as two essential predictors of L2 learning. This study is an empirical attempt to address the underexplored nature of the interplay between grit and self-efficacy in determining L2 achievement.