A Correlational Study On Attribution, Achievement Motivation, Self-efficacy And English Language Proficiency

The factors affecting the academic achievement of educational psychology have been the focus of researches. The motivating factors in the study, attribution, achievement motivation, and self-efficacy, have received extensive attention in language studies. In addition, correlational studies on attribution, achievement motivation, and self-efficacy are to certain extent to promote the achievement of the goals of the study, thereby they exert influence on the academic performance of students. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to clarify college students'features of attribution, achievement motivation, and self-efficacy so as to indicate the correlations in relation to students'language proficiency.Since 1960s, the theory of attribution has been developing in psychology attribution theory that originates from the American psychologist Weiner's theory. Motivation provides the primary impetus to initiate learning the L2 and later the driving force to sustain the long and often tedious learning process. Self-efficacy is concerned about an individual of his own behavior to achieve the expected results. Individual self-efficacy is thought to ultimately affect the academic achievement of learners.The study was implemented in a vocational school—Shijiazhuang Information and Engineering Vocational College. By adopting the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, CDS-II, Achievement Motivation Scale and scores from CET-4, the present study has made the following conclusions:(1) Successful performers evaluate the extent to which their ability for data sufficiency problem affects their scores. On the other hand, unsuccessful learners evaluate the extent to which their lack of ability affects their scores. There is no significant differences identified between successful and unsuccessful learners in the two different dimensions—locus of causality and stability(2) The male students have higher achievement motivation than female students. And there is a significant positive correlation between motivation for seeking success and students'language proficiency, but a negative correlation between motivation for avoiding failure and students'language proficiency.(3) The high achievers have generally good self-efficacy while the moderate ones have moderate self-efficacy and the low ones have low self-efficacy compared with the former two kinds. There are significant differences in language self-efficacy among students in different self-efficacy levels of academic language achievement.(4) Attribution plays an important and direct role in students'English language proficiency. Self-efficacy influences English language proficiency through two ways. Achievement motivation can directly influence English achievement as well as indirectly influence English language proficiency through self-efficacy.Thus, this study gives some suggestions: Teachers should pay attention to students'attribution status and then guide them in attributing. Students with low self-efficacy should be made aware that inaccurate attributions to ability factors might cause them unnecessary anxiety and loss of motivation as well. Female students have to gain more confidence on it. Besides, the motivation for seeking success should be highly paid attention to, while the motivation for avoiding failure should be eliminated, and if necessary, the teachers are supposed to help students in this aspect. The study also has its limitations, such as the subjects took part in the study only come from one college, and the instruments adopted in the study have its own limitations.