Research On The Relationship Between Self-efficacy In English Learning And English Learning Styles Of Senior High School Students In The Context Of New Curriculum Reform In China

Changing students' learning styles, which has profound educational significance, is one of the requirements stated clearly in the new round of Curriculum Reform of Basic Education in China. During the implementation of the new curricula, however, there are many misunderstandings on changing students' learning styles in primary and middle schools, and that means researches on the process and reflections on the concept of changing students' learning styles are needed. Therefore, this research brings the theory of self-efficacy in learning into the research on how to change students' learning styles, trying to explore their relationship by quantitative study and observe the process of changing students' learning styles from a different view.Firstly, based on classroom observations, student interviews and previous related researches, two hypotheses are formulated and two questionnaires with high reliability and efficiency are constructed. Then,350 senior students form three high schools in Chongqing carrying out the new curricula are surveyed in a random stratified sampling way by the questionnaires. At last, data are calculated and analyzed by SPSS 13.0 and the results reveal that:(a) in the context of New Curriculum Reform, the overall level of senior students' self-efficacy in English learning is not high enough (only 3.19); and that figure for students from key high schools are higher than that for those form normal ones; what is more, the higher scores they got in their entrance exam on English for high schools, the stronger sense of self-efficacy in English learning they have during high schools studies. (b) by comparison, senior students' English self-regulated learning level is the highest while situation-based learning level is the lowest among the four learning styles; as for the preference for new learning styles (including self-regulated, situation-based and co-operational learning styles), the intensity of key high school students is stronger than that of normal ones, and students with higher scores in their entrance exam have relatively stronger preference for new learning styles. (c) the higher level of self-efficacy in English learning (X) the students have, the stronger preference for new learning styles (Y) they can feel, and vice versa. X can predict changes of Y at the accuracy of 60.3%, and their regressive equation is Y=1.037+0.713X. Through comprehensive analyses and discussion on these results, the original hypotheses have been testified that there is a triangle circulation mode among senior high school students'English examination scores, self-efficacy in learning and learning styles in the context of examination-oriented education in China.Accordingly, some enlightenment can be provided. Firstly, students'self-efficacy in learning can be improved through multi-evaluating, appreciation educating and creating relaxed and harmonious learning environments during the implement of New Curriculum Reform. Secondly, nowadays students'learning styles need to be changed; and to realize it, the important foundation is students'self-efficacy in learning and the significant strategy is to encourage students to change their learning styles by themselves through enhancing their self-efficacy in learning. Thirdly, changing students' learning styles does not simply mean changing from passive learning to self-regulated learning or from traditional ways to modern approaches, but means the process that teachers guide students to appropriately apply various suitable learning styles by appreciation education according to students personal experience, specialty, ability, knowledge and their self-efficacy in learning.