The interplay of motivated behaviour, self-concept, self-efficacy, and language use on ease of academic study in English medium education

Abstract

This paper reports on a mixed-methods study investigating the factors that predict the severity of language challenges in EMI contexts. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups at a private university in Istanbul. Questionnaire data were collected from EMI students (n = 544) across a variety of disciplines, and interviews (n = 11) and focus groups (n = 6) were conducted with teachers with students, respectively, from a social sciences faculty of the university. Quantitative data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis, and a significant relationship was found between students' motivation, perceived competence, self-efficacy, the amount of L2 used in the classroom and students' challenges. Among these four factors, self-efficacy and motivation had the greatest predictive power in determining students' challenges in EMI courses. The analysis of qualitative data revealed complexities related to students' language learning and academic self-efficacy, as well as their motivation on EMI courses, and the findings highlight the importance of building students’ self-beliefs in EMI. Implications are discussed with respect to EMI pedagogy, language support, and future directions for research.