A Reserch On Self-efficacy In Web-based Self-regulated English Learning

Recently, self-regulated learning has turned into a hot focus in foreign languageteaching. Ever since the promulgation of College English Curriculum Requirements,the students-oriented teaching model with the assistance of modern technology,computers and internet has attracted attentions from teachers. Thus, how to improvestudents’ self-regulated learning has been taken into serious consideration. However,there exist many influential factors in self-regulated learning. From the perspective ofsocial cognitive, self-regulated learning is an interaction between individual, behaviorand environment (Bandura,1986). It is believed that the influencing factors ofself-regulated learning can be divided into three categories: internal factors, behaviorfactors and environmental factors. The internal factors include self-efficacy, learningstrategy, setting goals, attribution and emotion etc. Self-efficacy and learningstrategies are two key variables affecting self-regulated learning. Self-efficacy, as oneof the influencing factors, affects learners’ motivation through goal setting,self-monitoring, self evaluation and learning strategy use (Pang Weiguo,2003).Considering self-efficacy as one of the internal factors that influenceself-regulated learning and the web-based English audio-visual class in NorthwestA&F University, the present study attempts to investigate the self-efficacy ofnon-English major students in web-based English self-regulated learning from threeaspects:(1)The general situation of English self-efficacy among non-English majoredstudents and its relationships with gender, majors, students English learning time afterclass, internet English learning experience and internet attitudes;(2)The specificEnglish self-efficacy in the perceived confidence in gaining learning achievements;perceived capability in English learning; perceived effort in solving problems inEnglish learning; the environment feeling;(3) The sources of English self-efficacy.This empirical study was conducted through two questionnaires answered by323non-English majored students from Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University.The results of the study indicate that:(1) The general situation of web-based self-efficacy among non-English majored students is above the medium level;(2)Students’ individual differences have a significant impact on the general situation ofself-efficacy;(3) There is a positive relation between the general situation ofself-efficacy and perceived confidence, perceived capability, perceived effort andenvironment feeling.The analysis in the sources of self-efficacy indicates that apart from the foursources given by Bandura, the teaching model, learning English autonomously inweb-based environment, has become the greatest sources of students’ self-efficacy, andso are the teachers’ confidence in teaching, goal setting and the use of learningstrategies.Based on the analysis of the factors influencing self-efficacy, the study proposesnine training strategies to enhance students’ English self-efficacy in web-basedenvironment.