The Relationship between Classroom Environment and EFL Learners' Academic Self-Efficacy

Amir Mahdavi Zafarghandi,Abdorreza Tahriri,Masoumeh Naghsh Daemi

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.4p.16

Amir Mahdavi Zafarghandi, Abdorreza Tahriri + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.4p.16

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Abstract

The present study sought to examine the relationship between classroom environment and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' academic self-efficacy. To this end, a sample of 200 advanced EFL learners (146 females and 54 males) completed the What is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) which consists of seven scales including Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Investigation, Task Orientation, Cooperation, and Equity that help to measure classroom learning environment. The Self-Efficacy for Learning Form (SELF-A) was also administered to gauge the participants’ academic self-efficacy. In order to analyze the data, Spearman rank-order correlation was run. The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between EFL learners’ classroom environment and their self-efficacy (rho = .438). The findings reflected that the highest relationship was between task orientation and self-efficacy (rho = .433) followed by the relationship between student cohesiveness and self-efficacy (rho = .353). However, the lowest relationship was found for the relationship between cooperation and self-efficacy (rho = .199). Overall, the results highlight the relationship between classroom environment and academic self-efficacy.

Highlights

Learners with similar aptitude and capacities may have a different performance in learning a language
A sample of 200 advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners (146 females and 54 males) completed the What is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) which consists of seven scales including Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Investigation, Task Orientation, Cooperation, and Equity that help to measure classroom learning environment
The lowest mean rank was reported for the investigation section. When it comes to the EFL leaners who reported high academic self-efficacy, the highest mean rank was reported for the equity component closely followed by the task orientation

Summary

Introduction

Learners with similar aptitude and capacities may have a different performance in learning a language. Self-efficacy theory was begun from social cognitive theory by Bandura and is characterized as people’s beliefs about their capacities to perform an activity. It is identified with one’s view of his/her capacity to achieve an objective, and it is known as a critical concept in positive psychology. The present research concentrated on the area of academic self-efficacy which relates to students’ motivation and it refers to students’ confidence in their capability to learn or do particular tasks (Bandura, 1986, 1997) or according to Zimmerman (1995) it is personal judgement of someone’s abilities to sort out and execute courses of action to accomplish assigned types of instructive performances

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