| Peer-Reviewed

The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners

Received: 26 July 2019     Accepted: 9 October 2019     Published: 19 December 2019
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study was an attempt to examine the effect of self-efficacy on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Reading comprehension plays a significant role in educational success. In spite of its importance, students still have difficulties in understanding texts. One solution to the problem of poor reading comprehension is the learning of reading strategies. The current study examined the effect of summarizing strategy on reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Pretest-posttest design was employed to scrutinize the possible improvements of two classes of intermediate English learners (one experimental and one control group) as reading comprehension was concerned. Two groups were exposed to the same reading test as the pre and the post-test, however, only the experimental groups received the special treatment regarding to promote their self-efficacy. After the application of the study’s treatment, data analysis process initiated which indicated that experimental groups who received treatment had a better performance than the control group on the final reading test. In addition, the findings suggested that self-efficacy were same in male and female participants. The findings of the study indicated that summarizing strategy has a significant effect on learners’ reading comprehension. Generally, the findings imply that self-efficacy can positively affect the reading comprehension ability of the intermediate EFL learners.

Published in Communication and Linguistics Studies (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11
Page(s) 74-79
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Self-efficacy, Reading Comprehension, EFL Learner

References
[1] Alfassi M (2004). Reading to Learn: Effect of combined strategy instruction on high school students. Journal of Educational Research 97 (4) 171-184.
[2] Alimoradi, H. & Jahandar, SH. & Khodabandehlou, M. (2103). The impact of self-efficacy on iranian EFL learner‟s reading comprehension ability at pre-intermediate level. Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231-6345.
[3] Alderson, J. C. (1984). Reading in a Foreign Language: A Reading Problem or a Language Problem?” In J. C. Bagheri, M. S & Faghih, M. (2012). The Relationship between self-esteem, personality type andreading comprehension of Iranian EFL students. Theory and practice in language studies, 2 (8), 1641-1650.
[4] Bandura, A. (2006). Adolescent development from an agentic perspective. In F. Pajares, & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self- efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 1-43). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
[5] Bandura, A. (1999). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 2 (1), 21-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-839X. 00024.
[6] Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
[7] Behjat, F., Yamini, M., & Bagheri, M. S. (2012). Blended Learning: A Ubiquitous Learning Environment for Reading Comprehension. International Journal of English Linguistics, 2, 97-106. Brown, H. Douglas (2001). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2nd ed). Pearson ESL Press.
[8] Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bachman, L. F. (2004). Statistical Analyses for Language Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Carrell, P. L. (1989). Metacognitive awareness and second language reading. The Modern Language Journal, 73 (2), 121-134.
[9] Carrell, Patricia L., Pharis, B. G., & Liberto, J. C. (1989). Metacognitive strategy training for ESL reading. TESOL Quarterly, 23 (4), 647-678.
[10] Freedman, L. (2006). Actions that create, actions that destroy: Practices and processes for building secondary students’ reading proficiency Symposium presentation at National Reading, Los Angeles, CA.
[11] Jalilifar, A. (2010). "The effect of cooperative learning techniques on college students' reading comprehension", in System, 38: 96-108.
[12] Hafiz, F. M. & Tudor, Ian. (1989). "Extensive reading and the development of language skills.” ELT Journal, 43 (1): 4-13.
[13] Huang, S. C., & Chang, S. F. (1998). Self-efficacy in learners of English as a second language: four examples. Journal of Intensive English Studies, 12, 23-40.
[14] Lane, J., Lane, A., & Kyprianou, A. (2004). Self-efficacy, self-esteem and their impact on academic performance. Social Behaviour and Personality, 32, 247–256.
[15] Linnenbrink, E. A., & Pintrich, P. R. (2003). The role of self-efficacy beliefs in studentengagement and learning in the classroom. Reading and Writing Quarterly: OvercomingLearning Difficulties, 19 (2), 119–137. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/10573560308223.
[16] Li, Y., & Wang, C. (2010). An empirical study of reading self-efficacy and the use of reading strategies in the Chinese EFL context. Asian EFL Journal, 12 (2), 144-162.
[17] Naseri, M., & Zaferanieh, E. (2012). The relationship between reading self-efficacy beliefs, reading strategy use and reading comprehension level of Iranian EFL learners. World Journal of Education, 2, 64-75.
[18] Nezami, E., Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1996). Persian Adaptation (Farsi) of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. [Online] Available: http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~health/persean.htm (May 18, 2011).
[19] Oxford, R. L. (2001). Language learning strategies. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other language (pp. 166-172). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
[20] Rahimi, M., Riazi, A., & Saif, Sh. (2004). An investigation into the factors affecting the use of language learning strategies by Persian EFL learners. RCLA. CJAL, 11 (2), 31-60.
[21] Rosenfeld, P., Booth-Kewley, S., Edwards, J. E., & Thomas, M. D. (1996). Responses on computersurveys Impression management, social desirability, and the big brother syndrome. Computers in Human Behavior, 12 (2), 263–274.
[22] Schunk, D. H. (1987). Peer models and children's behavioral change. Review of Educational Research, 57 (2), 149-174.
[23] Schwarzer, R. & Fuchs, R. (1995). Self-efficacy and health. In Bandura, A. (ed.) Self-Efficacy in Changing Societies. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[24] Siew, M. & Wong, L. (2005). Language learning strategies and language self-efficacy: Investigating the relationship in Malaysia. Regional Language Centre Journal, 36 (3), 245-269.
[25] Wang, C., & Li, Y. (2010). An Empirical Study of Reading Self-efficacy and the Use of Reading Strategies in the Chinese EFL Context. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 12 (2), 144-162. www.ccsenet.org/elt English Language Teaching Vol. 5, No. 11; 2012 70.
[26] Weinstein, C. E., & Mayer, R. E. (1986). The teaching of learning strategies. In M. Wittrock, Handbook of Research on teaching (pp. 315-327). New York: Macmillan.
[27] Wu, C. P. (2006). The Effects of goal Orientation, Self-efficacy, and Cognitive /Metacognitive Self regulatory Strategy Use on EFL College Students' Course Achievement. Unpublished Ph D dissertation. University of Southern California.
[28] Zimmerman, B. (2000). Self-Efficacy: An Essential Motive to Learn. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 82–91.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mohammad Javad Tandiseh, Masood Baqeri. (2019). The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 5(4), 74-79. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Mohammad Javad Tandiseh; Masood Baqeri. The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners. Commun. Linguist. Stud. 2019, 5(4), 74-79. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Mohammad Javad Tandiseh, Masood Baqeri. The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners. Commun Linguist Stud. 2019;5(4):74-79. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11,
      author = {Mohammad Javad Tandiseh and Masood Baqeri},
      title = {The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners},
      journal = {Communication and Linguistics Studies},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {74-79},
      doi = {10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cls.20190504.11},
      abstract = {This study was an attempt to examine the effect of self-efficacy on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Reading comprehension plays a significant role in educational success. In spite of its importance, students still have difficulties in understanding texts. One solution to the problem of poor reading comprehension is the learning of reading strategies. The current study examined the effect of summarizing strategy on reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Pretest-posttest design was employed to scrutinize the possible improvements of two classes of intermediate English learners (one experimental and one control group) as reading comprehension was concerned. Two groups were exposed to the same reading test as the pre and the post-test, however, only the experimental groups received the special treatment regarding to promote their self-efficacy. After the application of the study’s treatment, data analysis process initiated which indicated that experimental groups who received treatment had a better performance than the control group on the final reading test. In addition, the findings suggested that self-efficacy were same in male and female participants. The findings of the study indicated that summarizing strategy has a significant effect on learners’ reading comprehension. Generally, the findings imply that self-efficacy can positively affect the reading comprehension ability of the intermediate EFL learners.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Effect of Self-efficacy on Intermediate EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Improvement: Evidence from Iranian English Learners
    AU  - Mohammad Javad Tandiseh
    AU  - Masood Baqeri
    Y1  - 2019/12/19
    PY  - 2019
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11
    T2  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
    JF  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
    JO  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
    SP  - 74
    EP  - 79
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2380-2529
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20190504.11
    AB  - This study was an attempt to examine the effect of self-efficacy on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Reading comprehension plays a significant role in educational success. In spite of its importance, students still have difficulties in understanding texts. One solution to the problem of poor reading comprehension is the learning of reading strategies. The current study examined the effect of summarizing strategy on reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Pretest-posttest design was employed to scrutinize the possible improvements of two classes of intermediate English learners (one experimental and one control group) as reading comprehension was concerned. Two groups were exposed to the same reading test as the pre and the post-test, however, only the experimental groups received the special treatment regarding to promote their self-efficacy. After the application of the study’s treatment, data analysis process initiated which indicated that experimental groups who received treatment had a better performance than the control group on the final reading test. In addition, the findings suggested that self-efficacy were same in male and female participants. The findings of the study indicated that summarizing strategy has a significant effect on learners’ reading comprehension. Generally, the findings imply that self-efficacy can positively affect the reading comprehension ability of the intermediate EFL learners.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Arak University, Arak, Iran

  • Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Arak University, Arak, Iran

  • Sections