Attribution Beliefs and Self-efficacy in Foreign Language Reading

Abstract

This study examined the interrelationship between attribution beliefs, self-efficacy, reading performance in foreign language (FL) reading among 153 English language learners (ELLs) in China. A mock College English Reading Test – Band 4 was used to measure English reading performance and two questionnaires were used to evaluate attribution beliefs and self-efficacy in English reading. Correlation analyses showed that while self-efficacy and attribution to reading strategy had significant and positive relation with reading performance, attribution to mood was significantly and negatively associated with reading performance. Multiple regression indicated that attribution beliefs and self-efficacy together explained about 17% of variance in reading performance. The students of higher self-efficacy and good English reading performance tended to attribute their English reading more to internal and controllable factors than their counterparts with lower self-efficacy and poorer reading performance. These results have practical implications that English teachers should encourage learners to form positive attribution beliefs.

Keywords: attribution beliefs, self-efficacy, foreign language reading performance, English language learners, university students