Tài liệu Efl students' self efficacy in english and their self regulated language learning strategies at nguyen khuyen high school master of tesol

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY --------------- THESIS EFL STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY IN ENGLISH AND THEIR SELF-REGULATED LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AT NGUYEN KHUYEN HIGH SCHOOL Student’s name: Le Thi Hai Sam Student’s code: 18114166 Supervisor: Dr. Tran Quoc Thao BA RIA-VUNG TAU, 2022 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY --------------- THESIS EFL STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY IN ENGLISH AND THEIR SELF-REGULATED LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AT NGUYEN KHUYEN HIGH SCHOOL Submitted to the Postgraduate Institute in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL Course code: 8140111 By Le Thi Hai Sam Supervised by Dr. Tran Quoc Thao BA RIA-VUNG TAU, 2022 i CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled: EFL STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY IN ENGLISH AND THEIR SELF- REGULATED LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AT NGUYEN KHUYEN HIGH SCHOOL. In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Postgraduate Institute, Ba Ria-Vung Tau University. Ba Ria-Vung Tau, June 2022 ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Le Thi Hai Sam, a candidate for the degree of TESOL accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library. In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for thesis. Ba Ria-Vung Tau, June 2022 Le Thi Hai Sam iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My special thanks are due to all those who have made great contributions to my thesis completion. First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Tran Quoc Thao, my supervisor, for his valuable comments and suggestions during the whole research process. His dynamism, enthusiasm, vision as well as his patience have deeply inspired me. Without his support and guidance, this thesis would never have been completed. Secondly, I am very grateful to the Postgraduate Institute of Ba Ria – Vung Tau University who have supported me much time to implement this thesis. My sincere thanks also go to my friends and colleagues for all their help and encouragement. I would like to thank the research participants who have contributed to this study. Last but not least, I warmly thank my family for their countless support, greatest sympathy and unconditional love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ..................................................................... i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ......................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................iii ABSTRACT............................................................................................................. vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 1.1. Background to the study ................................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of problem ...................................................................................... 2 1.3. Aims and objectives of the study .................................................................... 4 1.4. Research questions.......................................................................................... 4 1.5. Scope of the study ........................................................................................... 4 1.6. Significance of the study................................................................................. 5 1.7. Definitions of key terms ................................................................................. 7 1.8. Organization of the thesis ............................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................. 9 2.1. Introduction..................................................................................................... 9 2.2. Self-efficacy .................................................................................................... 9 2.3. Self-regulated language learning strategies .................................................. 12 2.4. The relationship between EFL students’ self-efficacy in English and their selfregulated language learning strategies ............................................................................. 17 2.5. Previous studies ............................................................................................ 23 2.6. Conceptual framework.................................................................................. 28 2.7. Summary ....................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ....................................................................... 30 3.1. Introduction................................................................................................... 30 3.2 Research design ............................................................................................. 30 3.3. Research site ................................................................................................. 30 3.4. Research participants .................................................................................... 30 3.5. Research instrument...................................................................................... 31 3.6. Procedures for data collection and analysis .................................................. 33 3.7. Validity and reliability .................................................................................. 33 v 3.8. Summary ....................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................. 35 4.1. Results........................................................................................................... 35 4.2. Discussions ................................................................................................... 50 4.3 Summary ........................................................................................................ 54 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 55 5.1. Summary of the main findings of the thesis ................................................. 55 5.2. Pedagogical implications .............................................................................. 55 5.3. Limitation of the research ............................................................................. 57 5.4. Recommendations for further research ......................................................... 57 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 58 APPENIDIXES ...................................................................................................... 66 vi ABSTRACT English is one of the most compulsory subjects at high school in Vietnam and high school students find learning English demanding for them for some objective and subjective reasons. It is essential for the EFL students to have self-efficacy in learning English, i.e., belief in one’s ability to learn English confidently. There are four skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing that these high school students have to enroll during three years at high school. Each skill requires the students to use appropriate strategies to learn English well. The students are required to be provided and able to apply a variety of self-regulated language learning strategies for four skills properly. It can be seen that if the students have self-efficacy for listening, speaking, reading and writing, they will use different self-regulated language learning strategies to study these four skills successfully. The aim of this thesis is to find out Nguyen Khuyen high school students’ self-efficacy and their self-regulated language learning strategies, and the relationship between self-efficacy and selfregulated language learning strategies. The total of 240 eleventh-grade students at Nguyen Khuyen high school, Vung Tau city participated in this research. They were asked to complete two sets of questionnaire about self-efficacy and self-regulated language learning strategies. The results indicated that the participants had their self-efficacy for listening, speaking, reading and writing. Based on their self-efficacy, they applied various self-regulated language learning strategies for these four skills. Additionally, the results showed that there was a relationship between Nguyen Khuyen high school students’ self-efficacy and their self-regulated language learning. The study suggests some implication for teachers and students at Nguyen Khuyen high school so that the teachers of English can encourage their students’ selfefficacy and recommends some self-regulated language learning strategies for their students to help their learning English more effectively and communicatively. Key words: self-efficacy, self-regulation, self-regulated language learning strategies,… vii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Research participants’ general information .........................................31 Table 3.2: Four categories of self-efficacy in English ...........................................32 Table 3.3: Eleven subcategories of SRLL strategies ............................................32 Table 4.1: Self-efficacy in listening skill ...............................................................35 Table 4.2: Self-efficacy in speaking skill ..............................................................36 Table 4.3: Self-efficacy in reading skill .................................................................37 Table 4.4: Self-efficacy in writing skill .................................................................38 Table 4.5: SRLL strategies used by Nguyen Khuyen high school students ..........39 Table 4.6: Self-evaluation ......................................................................................40 Table 4.7: Organization and transformation ..........................................................41 Table 4.8: Rehearsal and memorization.................................................................43 Table 4.9: Seeking social assistance ......................................................................43 Table 4.10: Persistence when faced with challenges .............................................44 Table 4.11: Seeking opportunities to practice English ..........................................45 Table 4.12: Record keeping and monitoring..........................................................46 Table 4.13: Self-consequences...............................................................................46 Table 4.14: Goal setting and planning ...................................................................47 Table 4.15: Review of records ...............................................................................48 Table 4.16: Interpretation skills .............................................................................49 Table 4.17: The correlation between EFL students’ self-efficacy and their SRLL strategies at Nguyen Khuyen high school...............................................................50 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Conceptual framework of the thesis ……………………………..28 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESL : English as a Second Language MSLQ : Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire SILL : Strategy Inventory for Language Learning SLA : Second Language Acquisition SRL : Self-regulated learning SRLL : Self-regulated language learning 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background to the study The English language is spoken in 188 countries and 83 nations have made it their official language. As a result, English is referred to as a “global language” and is the language used officially in international and national conferences. A great number of countries in which English is used as a foreign language require high school students to pass international English exams in order to communicate with foreigners and study abroad. In Vietnam, learners begin learning English since primary schools, and high school students must take at least 3 periods of English classes weekly for three years and pass the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) to gain one’s diploma from high schools. English is considered for university admission. English is the most common foreign language taught in high schools in Vietnam. Though Vietnamese students use course books and learn English in a comparable manner, cultural and regional variables necessitate an examination of common and different things in their learning processes. The purpose of this article is to look at Vietnamese students’ self-efficacy beliefs and how they employ selfregulated language learning (SRLL) strategies to learn English as a foreign language. SRL was created to better understand how students learn on their own time. SRL serves as a foundation for students to develop their academic strategies (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011). For decades, SRLL has attracted interest in second language acquisition since it helps academics analyze how language learning is processed in greater depth. Nevertheless, currently only a few research in Japan focus on SRL (Ito, 2009). Furthermore, SRL competence is thought to improve academic competency because it allows learners to define learning aims, and employ appropriate learning tactics, and get motivation, which contributes to excellent academic achievement (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011). However, categorizing the self-regulated 2 characteristics of unskilled learners and characteristics of more successful learners as two different positions would be premature. First, the similarities and contrasts that occur between various levels must be identified. Self-regulation has been identified as a crucial variable for understanding second language learner individual differences (e.g., Dörnyei, 2005). The dynamics of self-regulation have piqued researchers’ interest in studies of second language acquisition (SLA). The ability of learners to self-regulate is also important for language acquisition success (Dörnyei, 2005). Researchers are also pushing for greater research linking these two conceptions of learner characteristics in SLA because learners’ self-regulation is frequently connected with their self-efficacy (Wang et al., 2012). Several researches have looked at how self-regulation and selfefficacy interact in the reality of learning EFL. However, the majority of these investigations were conducted in typical classroom settings (e.g., Wang et al., 2007). In online environments, there have been few empirical studies on the relationship between language learners’ self-regulation and self-efficacy. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the understudied correlations between students’ self-regulation and English language self-efficacy among EFL students at Nguyen Khuyen high school. 1.2. Statement of problem Over the years, educational studies have used correlation analysis (Veenman et al., 2004), cross-tab analysis, qualitative methods, and experimental methods to present the relationships between motivational strategies, learning strategies, and achievement. Many of the studies described above show that the components of motivational variables, learning techniques, and science accomplishment have a positive unilateral relationship. However, this does not explain how these variables influence one another, either directly or indirectly (Aydn & Ubuz, 2010). As a result, the structural relationships between motivational strategies, learning techniques, and academic accomplishment can be investigated (Sungur, 2011). This is why the study’s goal is to look at the rapport of self-efficacy and selfregulated language learning (SRLL) strategies among EFL students at Nguyen 3 Khuyen high school. The majority of earlier research concentrated on the structural relationships between academic achievement and motivational self-regulated techniques among university students (Henning & Shulruf, 2011; Al-Harthy et al., 2010). Psychology, social sciences, and computer-assisted learning were all explored in these studies. Furthermore, much has been learned about the structural relationships between high school students’ science achievement and their motivational self-regulated tactics in recent studies (Sungur, 2011 and Reyes, 2011). These studies, on the other hand, are impossible to give concrete evidence in support of direct or indirect relationships between motivated self-regulated techniques and students’ learning outcomes and accomplishment in English. Reyes (2011) found that different types of motivation have distinct effects on performance in different subjects. These studies, on the other hand, cannot to give concrete evidence in support of direct or indirect relationships between motivated selfregulated techniques and students’ learning outcomes and accomplishment in English. Reyes (2011) found that different types of motivation have distinct effects on performance in different subjects. Furthermore, the relevant literature said that when the culture, grade level, subject area, and age of the participant are taken into account, the connections between motivational self-regulated techniques and academic accomplishment may differ (Reyes, 2011; Pintrinch, 2000). Purdie and Hattie (1996) claim that students’ method use varies between countries and cultures, hence having a diversity of research in the literature is important. To draw structural correlations between motivating self-regulated methods and students’ academic achievement, much more study is needed in different cultural situations, grade levels, subject areas, and age groups (Reyes, 2011). Exploring the relationship between self-efficacy, SRLL techniques, and the relationship is a problem that has to be considered in a much tighter research frame. 4 Despite the fact that there have been a large number of research on this topic all over the world, it is still relatively new in Vietnam. However, there has been little research in Vietnam on EFL students’ self-efficacy and SRLL techniques. As a result, the purpose of this study is to fill in some of the gaps. After establishing these facts, the current study focused on the relationships between self-efficacy and selfregulated learning practices among Nguyen Khuyen high school EFL students and English achievement. 1.3. Aims and objectives of the study This thesis aims to explore EFL learners’ self-efficacy in English and one’s SRLL strategies at the context of Nguyen Khuyen High School. The objectives are as follows: - To find out EFL students’ self-efficacy in English; - To investigate EFL students’ use of SRLL strategies; - To examine the relationship between EFL students’ self-efficacy in English and their SRLL strategies. 1.4. Research questions In this paper, three research questions will be investigated: 1. What is EFL students’ self-efficacy in English at Nguyen Khuyen high school? 2. How do EFL students use SRLL strategies? 3. Is there a significant relationship between EFL students’ self-efficacy in English and their SRLL strategies? If yes, what? 1.5. Scope of the study This study is conducted with the aim of exploring the EFL students’ selfefficacy and SRLL strategies at Nguyen Khuyen high school. Moreover, the relationship between self-efficacy and SRLL strategies is also examined. The research’s data are collected from two kinds of questionnaires, one for self-efficacy and the other for SRLL strategies. The questionnaires are delivered to students who are in the eleventh grades at Nguyen Khuyen high school. 5 The researcher only looks into specific areas of self-efficacy, such as listening, speaking, reading and writing, due to the study’s limited scope. The researcher also concentrates on three aspects of SRLL strategies based on Wang and Pape’s (2005) categories of SRLL strategies. Finally, the study aims to show how the combination of EFL students’ self-efficacy and SRLL techniques affects students’ academic progress at Nguyen Khuyen high school. 1.6. Significance of the study Self-efficacy beliefs and SRLL strategies are significant components of the learning process in disciplines other than ESL elementary education (Pape & Wang, 2005; Tran & Duong, 2013). More-achieving students possess self-efficacy attitudes at higher level and use a diversity of types of SRLL strategies for their learning when compared with other students. Nonetheless, Huang et al. (1999) claim that the matter of self-efficacy is important. Although SRLL strategies are particularly crucial for learning process, they have received little attention in the field of ESL. According to Chamot and El-Dinary (1999)’s longitudinal study, high-achieving children utilized more meta-cognitive methods than low-achieving children when learning foreign languages. Children employed a higher percentage of cognitive methods than adults. As a result, the findings of their study revealed that children used self-efficacy and technique in ESL environments. Despite the fact that much research has been done on self-efficacy in learning reality, the participants in Pajares (1997) belong to Western cultures. Consequently, Pajares advocates for a culturally education environment that examines pupils in a variety of socio-cultural contexts. This study investigates self-efficacy views of English learners at Nguyen Khuyen high school. Furthermore, few self-efficacy assessments for children are available. Wang and Pape (2005) created a questionnaire to assess self-efficacy beliefs in ESL children and a questionnaire based on a survey to assess ESL children’s use of SRL methods. Four Vietnamese-speaking youngsters were used in this case study. The participants’ self-efficacy beliefs and use of SRLL methods were elicited using these two questionnaires, which were altered based on the data from observations made during the research. These questionnaires could be useful for future study on self-efficacy beliefs and SRL techniques among ESL elementary school pupils. Teaching students 6 about alternative SRLL strategies may be important to improve their academic achievements in classrooms self-efficacy belief, resulting in employing more learning strategies cognitively (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990). The use of SRL tactics has been proven to improve student performance, and students taught to apply SRLL strategies are hence more regulated (Travers & Sheckley, 2000). Introducing SRLL strategies is an important aspect of education. As a result, research into children’s self-efficacy and SRL tactics could have a substantial impact on both the teaching and learning processes. As previously stated, this research focuses on the self-efficacy and SRLL techniques of EFL students at Nguyen Khuyen high school. As a result, it is intended that the findings of this study will contribute to the field of English teaching and learning, as well as motivation and learning tactics. To begin with, because the thesis is aimed at investigating EFL students’ efficacy in English and SRLL techniques, which is a relatively new area of linguistic research in Vietnam, it is hoped that it would provide useful insight into the relationship between EFL students’ efficacy and SRLL strategies. The study of selfefficacy and SRLL tactics may help EFL students at Nguyen Khuyen high school become more conscious of motivation and learning strategies in order to improve their English skills. Second, the findings of this study may contribute to the body of literature on self-efficacy and SRLL techniques, which has been a rare and new research subject in Vietnamese language studies. This work may aid researchers in gaining a better understanding of EFL students’ self-efficacy and SRLL tactics. The study’s findings could help academics figure out what factors influence the association between selfefficacy and SRLL techniques among EFL students at Nguyen Khuyen high school. Finally, the researcher thinks that by doing this study, he would be able to evaluate the benefits of EFL students’ self-efficacy and SRLL tactics in order to improve EFL students’ academic progress at Nguyen Khuyen high school. In addition, the researcher wishes to raise knowledge of self-efficacy in English and SRLL practices in order to assist Vietnamese EFL learners in becoming selfsufficient in their English learning. 7 1.7. Definitions of key terms Many words are defined for the purposes of this study in order to provide a specific viewpoint on the issues discussed. Self-regulation encompasses three stages: planning, execution, and selfreflection (Zimmerman, 2000). Motivation, self-efficacy, goal-setting, and planning are examples of processes and attitudes that occur before learning endeavors. Self-regulated learning strategies consists of goal setting (Winne & Hadwin, 1998), planning (Zimmerman, 2004), self-motivation (Zimmerman, 2004), flexible use of learning strategies and attention control (Harnishferger, 1995). Self-regulated learners can develop short- and long-term learning goals, plan ahead to achieve their objectives, self-motivate, and keep their attention focused on their objectives and progress. They can also use numerous learning tactics and alter them as needed, self-monitor their progress, ask for support when needed, and selfevaluate their learning goals and success based on their learning outcomes. The aforementioned tactics can be used by primary and secondary school teachers to enhance self-regulation in their classes. Teachers should be aware, however, that students develop at different rates, and tactics that work for one learner may not always work for the next. Individuals must employ three fundamental processes to be self-regulated: self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reaction (Bandura, 1986), which allow them to monitor and alter their behaviors properly. 1.8. Organization of the thesis This thesis comprises five separate chapters. The first chapter gives a broad overview of the research. The backdrop of the study is presented in this chapter, and it offers readers with background information about the study’s research and challenges. The study’s goals and objectives are then discussed in this chapter, and three research questions are derived from these goals. The scope of the study is then defined. After then, the study’s significance is demonstrated. Later, definitions of several crucial concepts are written, followed by the thesis’ arrangement. The literature study in Chapter 2 presents definitions of self-efficacy as well as the role of self-efficacy in language learning. Then there are definitions of SRLL 8 strategies. The relationship between self-efficacy and SRLL techniques is then discussed in this chapter. Previous investigations of self-efficacy, SRLL techniques, and the link between self-efficacy and SRLL strategies conclude this chapter. The research gap on EFL self-efficacy and SRLL techniques in the setting of Nguyen Khuyen high school is highlighted as a result of this. (1) A presentation of the findings of self-efficacy, SRLL techniques, and the link between self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies; (2) data obtained via questionnaires; and (3) discussion of the data examined in the study are presented in Chapter 4. The primary findings of this study are presented in Chapter 5 in connection to the research topics, as well as the limits and recommendations for further research. 9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Introduction This chapter’s major goal is to provide a summary of previous research on self-efficacy and SRLL techniques. The three essential terms discussed in this study, self-efficacy, SRLL techniques, and achievement, are examined from the perspectives of several researchers. To begin, aside from definitions, the role of selfefficacy in language acquisition with four components such as mastery experiences, social modeling, social persuasion, and psychological responses is examined from various perspectives. Second, definitions and the necessity of SRLL techniques with three stages such as forethought, performance, and self-reflection are examined in relation to attitudes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between self-efficacy and SRLL techniques. 2.2. Self-efficacy 2.2.1. Definitions of self-efficacy Self-efficacy is a key notion in Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the importance of observational learning, social experience, and reciprocal determinism in the development of a personality. Self-esteem is defined by a person’s attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills, according to Bandura (1997). This affects the way learners perceive things and deal with them in various circumstances in a combination with self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a component of the self-regulation process and is defined as “beliefs in one’s capacities to organize and execute courses of action required to generate specific attainments” (Bandura, 1997, p.3). Self-efficacy, in other words, is a person’s belief in his or her own ability to achieve in any situation. In other words, this have an impact on one’s thinking, behaving, and feeling. Self-efficacy is also regarded as an assessment of one’s ability to execute a certain assignment by using the skills or strategies one has (Bandura, 1997), and typical task-specific (Bandura, 1986; Schunk, 1989, 1991). Self-efficacy is a critical component of self-regulation that is influenced by classroom characteristics (Schunk, 1996). Self-efficacy judgments are formed by students for specific classroom duties,