Jump to ContentJump to Main Navigation
Show Summary Details
More options …

Multicultural Learning and Teaching

Editor-in-Chief: Obiakor, Festus / Algozzine, Robert

Managing Editor: Banks, Tachelle

Online
ISSN
2161-2412
See all formats and pricing
Online
Institutional Subscription
€ [D] 220.00 / US$ 296.00 / GBP 181.00*
Individual Subscription
€ [D] 49.00 / US$ 74.00 / GBP 40.00*
*Prices in US$ apply to orders placed in the Americas only. Prices in GBP apply to orders placed in Great Britain only. Prices in € represent the retail prices valid in Germany (unless otherwise indicated). Prices are subject to change without notice. Prices do not include postage and handling if applicable. RRP: Recommended Retail Price.
More options …

Understanding Sources of Self-Efficacy of Chinese Students Learning English in an American Institution

Huifang Zuo
  • Department of Educational Leadership, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
  • Email
  • Other articles by this author:
  • De Gruyter OnlineGoogle Scholar
 / Chuang Wang
  • Corresponding author
  • Department of Educational Leadership, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
  • Email
  • Other articles by this author:
  • De Gruyter OnlineGoogle Scholar
Published Online: 2014-09-05 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2014-0005

30,00 € / $42.00 / £23.00

Get Access to Full Text

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the sources of the self-efficacy development of five Chinese doctoral students’ use of English as a second language in a southeastern university in the United Sates. Although individual differences were reported, common themes were also recognized. Consistent with the self-efficacy theory and previous studies in this field, the major factors that influenced the participants’ self-efficacy beliefs to use English are (1) past performance, (2) peers’ and advisors’ influence, (3) social persuasions, (4) emotional and physiological states, (5) self-awareness of English proficiency, (6) familiarity with and the difficulty level of the tasks, and (7) interest. The uniqueness of this study is that western individualism and Chinese collectivism were considered in the discussion of self-efficacy development. In order to improve Chinese students’ self-efficacy beliefs in learning English as well as to enhance their academic attainments and professional performance, it is necessary to explicitly understand which factors and components play significant roles in the development of their self-efficacy beliefs.

Keywords: self-efficacy; English as a second language; graduate students

References

  • Bandura, A. (1986). The explanatory and predictive scope of self-efficacy theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 4, 359–373.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71–81). New York, NY: Academic Press.Google Scholar

  • Bandura, A. (1995). Self-efficacy in changing societies. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: Freeman.Google Scholar

  • Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual review of psychology, 52, 1–26.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Blumenthal, L. F. (2014). Self-efficacy in low-level English language learners (Doctoral dissertations). Portland State University, Oregon.Google Scholar

  • Boekaerts, M., & Cascallar, E. (2006). How far have we moved toward the integration of theory and practice in self-regulation? Educational Psychology Review, 18, 199–210.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Bong, M., & Skaalvik, E. M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really? Educational Psychology Review, 15, 1–40.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Burke, N. J., Bird, J. A., Clark, M. A., Rakowski, W., Guerra, C., Barker, J. C., & Pasick, R. J. (2009). Social and cultural meanings of self-efficacy. Health Education & Behavior, 36, 111S–128S.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Caprara, G. V., Vecchione, M., Alessandri, G., Gerbino, M., & Barbaranelli, C. (2011). The contribution of personality traits and self-efficacy beliefs to academic achievement: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 78–96.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Chularut, P., & DeBacker, T. K. (2004). The influence of concept mapping on achievement, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in students of English as a second language. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29, 248–263.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Compeau, D. R., & Higgins, C. A. (1995). Computer self-efficacy: Development of a measure and initial test. MIS Quarterly, 19, 189–211.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Curley, A. M. (2010). Relocating the poor: Social capital and neighborhood resources. Journal of Urban Affairs, 32, 79–103.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Dörnyei, Z. (1994). Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom. The modern Language Journal, 78, 273–284.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2003). Attitudes, orientations, and motivations in language learning: Advances in theory, research, and applications. Language Learning, 53, 3–32.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Eaton, M. J., & Dembo, M. H. (1997). Differences in the motivational beliefs of Asian American and non-Asian students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 433–440.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Gecas, V. (1989). The social psychology of self-efficacy. Annual Review of Sociology, 15, 291–316.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Gorsuch, G. (2009). Investigating second language learner self-efficacy and future expectancy of second language use for high-stakes program evaluation. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 505–540.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Hoban, S., & Hoban, G. (2004). Self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-directed learning: Attempting to undo the confusion. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 1(2), 7–25.Google Scholar

  • Hoban, G. J., & Sersland, C. J. (2000). Why assessing self-efficacy for self-directed learning should be used to assist adult students in becoming self-directed learners. In H. B. Long & Associates (Eds.), Practice & theory in self-directed learning (pp. 83–96). Schaumburg, IL: Motorola University Press.Google Scholar

  • Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar

  • Hsieh, P. P., & Schallert, D. L. (2008). Implications from self-efficacy and attribution theories for an understanding of undergraduates’ motivation in a foreign language course. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 513–532.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Huang, S. C., & Chang, S. F. (1996). Self-efficacy of English as a second language learner: An example of four learners. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED396536.pdf

  • Institute of International Education. (2011). Open doors report on international educational exchange. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data

  • Klassen, R. M. (2004). A cross-cultural investigation of the efficacy beliefs of south Asian immigrant and Anglo Canadian nonimmigrant early adolescents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 731–742.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Klassen, R. M. (2006). Too much confidence: The self-efficacy of adolescents with learning disabilities. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 181–200). Greenwich, CT: Information Aga Publishing.Google Scholar

  • Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Larkin, K. C. (1984). Relation of self-efficacy expectations to academic achievement and persistence. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, 356–362.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Lent, R. W., Lopez, F. G., Brown, S. D., & Gore Jr. P. A. (1996). Latent structure of the sources of mathematics self-efficacy. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 49, 292–308.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Merriam, S. B. (1988). Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar

  • Metcalfe, J. E., & Shimamura, A. P. (1994). Metacognition: Knowing about knowing. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar

  • Mills, N., Pajares, F., & Herron, C. (2007). Self-efficacy of college intermediate French students: Relation to achievement and motivation. Language Learning, 57, 417–442.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Nelson, T. O. (1996). Consciousness and metacognition. American Psychologist, 51, 102–116.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Nisbet, D. L., Tindall, E. R., & Arroyo, A. A. (2005). Language learning strategies and English proficiency of Chinese university students. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 100–107.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Oettingen, G. (1995). Cross-cultural perspectives on self-efficacy. In A. Bandura (Ed.), Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 149–176). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

  • Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational Research, 66, 543–578.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Pajares, F. (2002). Gender and perceived self-efficacy in self-regulated learning. Theory into Practice, 41, 116–125.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Pajares, F. (2003). Self-efficacy beliefs, motivation, and achievement in writing: A review of the literature. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19, 139–158.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Pajares, F., Johnson, M. J., & Usher, E. L. (2007). Sources of writing self-efficacy beliefs of elementary, middle, and high school students. Research in the Teaching of English, 42, 104–120.Google Scholar

  • Pajares, F., & Valiante, G. (2006). Self-efficacy beliefs and motivation in writing development. In C. A. Macarthur, S. Graham, & J. Fitzgerald (Eds.), Handbook of writing research (pp. 158–170). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar

  • Pastorelli, C., Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., Rola, J., Rozsa, S., & Bandura, A. (2001). The structure of children’s perceived self-efficacy: A cross-national study. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17, 87–97.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Salili, F., Fu, H., Tong, J., & Tabatabai, D. (2001). Motivation and self-regulation: A cross-cultural comparison of the effect of culture and context of learning on student motivation and self-regulation. In C. Y. Chiu, F. Salili, & Y. Y. Hong (Eds.), Multiple competencies and self-regulated learning: Implications for multicultural education (pp. 123–140). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar

  • Schunk, D. H. (1990). Goal setting and self-efficacy during self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 25, 71–86.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 207–231.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Schwarzer, R., Bäßler, J., Kwiatek, P., Schröder, K., & Zhang, J. X. (1997). The Assessment of optimistic self-beliefs: Comparison of the German, Spanish, and Chinese versions of the general self-efficacy scale. Applied Psychology, 46, 69–88.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Shih, S.-S., & Alexander, J. M. (2000). Interacting effects of goal setting and self-or other-referenced feedback on children’s development of self-efficacy and cognitive skill within the Taiwanese classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 536–543.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Shimamura, A. P. (2000). Toward a cognitive neuroscience of metacognition. Consciousness and Cognition, 9, 313–323.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Short, D. J., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double the work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language learners: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.Google Scholar

  • Usher, E. L. (2009). Sources of middle school students’ self-efficacy in mathematics: A qualitative investigation. American Educational Research Journal, 46, 275–314.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Wang, C., & Pape, S. (2005). Self-efficacy and self-regulation in learning English as a second language. The CATESOL Journal, 17(1), 76–90.Google Scholar

  • Wang, C., & Pape, S. (2007). A probe into three Chinese boys’ self-efficacy beliefs learning English as a second language. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21, 364–377.Google Scholar

  • Wang, C., Schwab, G., Fenn, P., & Chang, M. (2013). Self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies for English language learners: Comparison between Chinese and German college students. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 3(1), 173–191.Google Scholar

  • Wang, C., Kim, D. H., Bai, R., & Hu, J. (2014). Psychometric properties of a self-efficacy scale for English language learners in China. System, 44, 24–33.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Wang, C., & Zuo, H. (2014). Understanding Chinese international students’ difficulties and strategies in learning English for academic purposes. In W. Ma & C. Wang (Eds.), Learner’ privilege and responsibility: A critical examination of the experiences and perspectives of learners from Chinese backgrounds in the United States (pp. 67–82). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar

  • Wang, C. D., & Mallinckrodt, B. (2006). Acculturation, attachment, and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese/Taiwanese international students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 422–433. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Watkins, D. A., & Biggs, J. B. (2001). The paradox of the Chinese learner and beyond. In D. A. Watkins & J. B. Biggs (Eds.), Teaching the Chinese learner: Psychological and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 3–23). Hong Kong, China: Comparative Education Research Centre.Google Scholar

  • Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., & Pintrich, P. R. (1996). Development between the ages of eleven and twenty-five. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.), The handbook of educational psychology (pp. 148–187). New York, NY: Macmillan.Google Scholar

  • Yang, N. (1999). The relationship between EFL learners’ beliefs and learning strategy use. System, 27, 515–535.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar

  • Zeldin, A. L., Britner, S. L., & Pajares, F. (2008). A comparative study of the self-efficacy beliefs of successful men and women in mathematics, science, and technology careers. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45, 1036–1058.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Zeldin, A. L., & Pajares, F. (2000). Against the odds: Self-efficacy beliefs of women in mathematical, scientific, and technological careers. American Educational Research Journal, 37, 215–246.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Acculturation and psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students: Examining mediation and moderation effects. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, 614–627. CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Zimmerman, B. J., & Bandura, A. (1994). Impact of self-regulatory influences on writing course attainment. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 845–862.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

  • Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. J. (2006). Adolescents’ development of personal agency: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulatory skill. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 45–69). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar

  • Zimmerman, B. J., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1990). Student differences in self-regulated learning: Relating grade, sex, and giftedness to self-efficacy and strategy use. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 51–59.CrossrefGoogle Scholar

About the article

Published Online: 2014-09-05

Published in Print: 2016-03-01

Citation Information: Multicultural Learning and Teaching, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 83–112, ISSN (Online) 2161-2412, ISSN (Print) 2194-654X, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2014-0005.

Export Citation

©2016 by De Gruyter.Get Permission

Comments (0)

Please log in or register to comment.
Log in