A Study On The Influence Of Teacher Feedback On Non-english Major Students' English Learning Self-efficacy

Since the concept of self-efficacy was proposed by Bandura in 1977, it has attracted many scholars'attention and a great many research on it has been generated. Studies in various domains suggest that self-efficacy is an important factor to affect learners'academic achievements. Meanwhile, there is a large body of studies on teacher feedback in educational field, and teacher feedback is an important extrinsic factor to influence students'learning. Although it has been realized that self-efficacy is an important factor to influence learners'achievements, and teacher feedback facilitates teaching and learning, very few researchers connect them together and do research on it. Therefore, it is believed that the study on if teacher feedback is an effective way to enhance non-English major students'English learning self-efficacy is of great theoretical and practical significance.In this study it is hypothesized that teacher feedback influences non-English major students'English learning self-efficacy. In order to prove the hypothesis, an empirical study was conducted based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory and previous studies on teacher feedback, and three major theories, i.e. the reinforcement theory, Pygmalion effect and attribution theory. 120 freshmen, majoring in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in China University of Petroleum were selected to be the subjects, and they were divided into experimental and control class. Teacher feedbacks were consciously and frequently applied in the experimental class, but not in the control class in that semester. With the classroom observation, interviews, and two questionnaires (pre-test and post-test), the data were collected and analyzed aiming to explore the influence of teacher feedback on non-English major students'English learning self-efficacy.The major findings of this study are as follows:1. Based on the comparative analysis of the data colleted in the experimental and control class, it is found that teacher feedback does enhance non-English major students'English learning self-efficacy.2. Positive teacher feedback is the most effective way to enhance students'English learning self-efficacy, such as the praise, encouragement, expectancy, success and failure attribution guide, etc.3. As to the influence of teacher feedback, there is no significant difference between the male and female students'English learning self-efficacy, and there is no significant difference between their suggestibility as well.4. Non-English major students have lower listening self-efficacy and speaking self-efficacy in comparison with reading self-efficacy and writing self-efficacy. And the influence of teacher feedback on students'general and writing self-efficacy is more obvious.Therefore, the positive influence of teacher feedback on non-English major students'English learning self-efficacy is proved in this study. And in light of the findings some pedagogical implications are proposed, including positively applying teacher feedback and creating a comfortable learning environment.