English Self-efficacy Development Of In-service Postgraduates:

Self-efficacy refers to people’s beliefs in their abilities to produce designed levels of performance that exert influence on events which affect their lives. As an important affective factor, self-efficacy affects the achievements of an individual through cognitive, motivational, affective and selective processes. People with high level of self-efficacy are more likely to undertake challenging tasks, expend more efforts on these tasks and persist longer in them, however, those with low level of self-efficacy usually avoid challenging tasks and give up more easily. Recently, researchers have attached increasing attention to the study of self-efficacy in educational area and plenty of achievements have been obtained. However, much research of self-efficacy at home focuses on constructions of self-efficacy scales, the correlation between self-efficacy and motivation, goal setting, learning strategies and academic achievements. Little research has been concerned with the English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates as well as the development of their English self-efficacy.Adopting a quantitative approach, this study investigates English self-efficacy of92in-service postgraduates from Southwest University in the form of questionnaires and with the help of SPSS17.0. Meanwhile, an interview is conducted to explain subjects’ responses and opinions. Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions.1. How is overall tendency of English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates?2. How is students’self-prediction of English examination syllabus?3. What are the main sources of English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates?4. What is the relationship between students’English self-efficacy and their self-prediction of English examination syllabus?5. Are there any significant differences in English self-efficacy and self-prediction of the syllabus between students with different English level?6. Are there any significant differences in English self-efficacy and self-prediction of the syllabus between male and female students?The research results reveal that (1) the general English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates is of moderate level with distinguishing individual differences;(2) efficacy beliefs of students in the English examination syllabus for in-service postgraduates are below the moderate level;(3) vicarious learning, verbal persuasion and goal setting are the top three sources which affect English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates;(4) English self-efficacy of students is positively correlated with their efficacy beliefs in the syllabus, and English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates can predicate their efficacy beliefs in the syllabus;(5) English self-efficacy of students and their efficacy beliefs in the syllabus vary according to their English level;(6) gender does not exert significant influence on students’English self-efficacy and their efficacy beliefs in the syllabus.On the basis of the findings and analyses, the author puts forward five strategies for developing English self-efficacy of in-service postgraduates:setting successful models, offering proper and positive feedback and encouragement, setting goals of English learning, attributing success and failure properly, improving the awareness of learning strategies.