A Research Of Undergraduate Students’ English Epistemological Beliefs And Its Relationship With English Learning Anxiety

Epistemological belief refers to learners for knowledge and knowing, itis the inherent background of learners intrinsic activity. In this study, there are threeparts: composing college students’ English epistemological beliefs questionnaire,analysis of the status quo, discussing the relationship between English epistemologicalbeliefs and learning anxiety. Using a self-designed college student epistemologicalbelief questionnaire, the research investigated the development feature, gender, gradeand major differences of603college students’ epistemological beliefs. Theepistemological belief questionnaire consists of26items,4factors, such as learningobjective motivational belief, the nature of learning beliefs, learning beliefs, learningefficiency beliefs. In order to explore how beliefs influence of anxiety，the researchinvestigated the relationship among the student epistemological belief of English andthe learning anxiety.The results indicated:First, through the analysis of the empirical research, students’ epistemologicalbeliefs questionnaire is verified a good effect, these factors and ideas model fitting isbetter. The questionnaire has good reliability and validity, and it can be used to measurestudents’ epistemological beliefs.Second, on the whole, students’ epistemological beliefs are positive. Thoughstudents from different colleges, different majors, different grades, they have consistentbeliefs on nature and methods of learning. In the four factors, beliefs of students’English learning properties and methods scored an average of the highest, andself-efficacy belief is the weakest among them.Third, there is significant gender difference in students’ epistemological beliefsabout English. Girls’ epistemological beliefs about English are significantly morepositive than boys’ beliefs.Forth，Epistemological beliefs about English in general, there is significantdifference between students from English major and students from non-English major. The English major students’ learning goal motivation and learning ability aresignificantly higher than that of non-English major students’.Fifth，there is significant grade difference in students’ epistemological beliefsabout English. On the whole, from the three grades, Students’ epistemological beliefshave significant grade differences. Sixth, students’ epistemological beliefs about Englishhave a significant influence on English learning anxiety. It mainly displays in thesignificant positive correlation of learning motivation beliefs and learning anxiety, andthe significant negative correlation of self-efficacy beliefs and learning anxiety. Theempirical research proved that students’ beliefs about English learning motivation andlearning self-efficacy efficacy can predict their learning anxiety.Sixth, students’ epistemological beliefs about English has effect on their learninganxiety. This is manifested in: learning motivation of English and learning anxiety ofEnglish was significantly positive correlation, learning self-efficacy and learninganxiety is significantly negative correlation.