Measuring the Correlation between Self-Efficacy Beliefs and English Language Attainments among Thai University Students

Abstract

This study examined the predictive value of Bandura’s 100 point self-efficacy scales among 208 third year university students (female; n = 108, male; n = 90) from three separate faculties; veterinary medicine (n = 60), business administration (n = 77) and engineering (n = 71) at a private institute of technology located on the outskirts of Bangkok. The central research question of this paper was to ascertain the extent to which one’s self-efficacy beliefs in English language attainments correspond with respective performance outcomes. Respondents were required to indicate their levels of self-efficacy in English as a general subject, as well as in domain specific matters relative to speaking proficiency, mid-term tests and final examinations. The results showed that the predictive value of subject related measures of self-efficacy across the sample population proved to be highly accurate, as the means of both sets of results were not significantly different (S.E: 68.12% vs. English: 66.28%; p <0.05), and were closely correlated (r = 0.692).The results from the domain specific scales, however, were less consistent. While there was no significant difference between declarations of self-efficacy and grade outcomes in both mid-term tests and final examinations (mid-term:62.59% vs. 64.33%; final: 63.22% vs.64.24%; p <0.05), and, both variables were also closely correlated (mid-term, r = 0.7018; final, r = 0.686); personal efficacy judgments for speaking proficiency were significantly inferior to respective attainments (58.46 vs. 68.25; p <0.05); resulting in a weaker correlation (r = 0.5248).