THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES OF EFL LEARNERS

THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EFL LEARNERS' SELF-EFFICACY AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGY. FURTHERMORE, THE STUDY EXAMINED WHAT KIND OF STRATEGIES LEARNERS WITH HIGH AND LOW LEVEL OF SELF-EFFICACY EMPLOY. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY IRANIAN EFL LEARNERS STUDYING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY. THEY WERE AT INTERMEDIATE LEVEL AND INCLUDED BOTH MALE AND FEMALE LEARNERS. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE A SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE AND A TEST-TAKING STRATEGY QUESTIONNAIRE. FINDINGS REVEALED THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN LEARNERS' SELF-EFFICACY AND THEIR TEST-TAKING STRATEGY USE. BESIDES, IN THE INTERVIEW WITH 10 LEARNERS, THE PARTICIPANTS STATED THAT BY EMPLOYING TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES IN TEST SITUATION, THEIR MOTIVATION AND SELF-EFFICACY IMPROVED TO A LARGE EXTENT. INTERVIEWEES WITH HIGH LEVEL OF SELF-EFFICACY SEEMED TO HAVE MORE STRATEGIES IN THEIR DISPOSAL AND INCLINED MORE TO EMPLOY TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES.