Strengths of English Self-Efficacy Beliefs among Arabic-Native-Speaker University Students whose Language of Instruction is English

Abstract

Worldwide, the concept of self-efficacy beliefs has been investigated abundantly and found to positively affect the outcomes of university students in most subject areas including English. The existing literature yet suggests that the self-efficacy beliefs of Saudi university students to pursue their higher education using the English language in Saudi Arabia have not been investigated. The present study aimed to assess the strengths of students’ self-efficacy beliefs to complete their higher education in English, to assess the degree of relationship between self-efficacy beliefs for writing, listening, and speaking English, and to compare male students and their female counterparts on the listed variables. Descriptive, t-test, and multiple linear regression analyses were utilized to inspect the data and answer the research questions. The self-efficacy beliefs of participants were deemed strong. The correlation between general self-efficacy beliefs and writing self-efficacy was significant. The correlation between general self-efficacy and self-efficacy for listening was also significant. The multiple regression analyses showed a statistically significant effect of self-efficacy beliefs for writing and self-efficacy beliefs for listening on general self-efficacy beliefs. Results of the independent sample t-test suggested one statistically significant difference between male and female students on the self-efficacy beliefs for writing. Limitations were stated, and recommendations were made for future replications of the study.