A Study On The Correlations Of Middle School Students’ English Learning Self-efficacy, Attributional Style And English Learning Achievement

Self-efficacy and attribution are important factors affecting students’ learning performance. Based on Bandura’ self-efficacy theory and Weiner’s attribution theory, this study aims to explore the state quo of middle school students’ English learning self-efficacy and attributional style and the correlations between English learning self-efficacy, attributional style and English learning achievement. The participants of the study are from a public middle school in Hangzhou. Through questionnaire investigation, data analysis and interview, the study has come to some major findings as follows:(1) Middle school students’ English learning self-efficacy are generally high. Girls’ English learning self-efficacy is obviously higher than boys’.(2) Middle school students’ English learning self-efficacy and English achievement have a significant positive correlation. Some main factors affect middle school students’ English learning self-efficacy such as learning interest, test scores, influence of teacher, evaluation of other people’s, difficulty of task, and so on.(3) Middle school students’ attributional style develops in a good way. Most students can have positive attribution on English learning and the gender differences of positive attribution are not obvious while gender differences of negative attribution are obvious.(4) Middle school students’ English learning achievement and positive attribution have a significant positive correlation. English learning achievement and negative attribution have a significant negative correlation and English learning self-efficacy and positive attribution have a significant positive correlation.The study confirms that middle school students’ English learning self-efficacy, attributional style and English academic achievement are related closely. The results are consistent with earlier studies on self-efficacy and attribution. It is hoped that the conclusions of this study can give some suggestions for English teaching in middle schools. In the process of teaching and learning English, teachers should help students analyze their mental characteristics of learning English, English learning motivation and self-efficacy, then guide them to do positive attribution so as to improve their learning achievement.