A Study On The Correlation Between Metacognitive Level And Self-Efficacy Of English Major Students

In recent years, How to effectively improve English skills of English majors has always been a concern in English education filed. In the process of learning English, English majors often encounter the problems of failures to effectively improve the efficiency of learning and English ability, which easily cause a blow to the positive learning attitude and make English majors to lose confidence in professional English learning. Researches show that improvement of metacognitive level can develop the English ability of English majors. At the same time, researches show that language learning self-efficacy level is also an important factor for English majors to learn English well. Both of the elements are the main factors for cultivating autonomous learning ability. At present, the researches on metacognition level are relatively well-developed, and the research of self-efficacy are mainly concentrated in the field of learning strategy use, but the research on the relationship between metacognition and self-efficacy is relatively insufficient.Based on this, the present study is based on the theory of metacognition and self-efficacy as the theoretical basis. This research, through took twice tests of two questionnaire surveys for84English majors in Foreign Language School of SWPU, and in combination with reflections and teaching records (including class observation and teaching diary) of4students, analyzed the change of metacognitive level and self-efficacy level of English majors after metacognitive learning strategies training and the relationship between metacognition and self-efficacy. Research questions are as follows:1. What is the level of metacognition of English majors?2. What is the level of self-efficacy of English majors?3. What are the correlation between metacognition and self-efficacy of English majors?This study is based on a combination of quantitative research and qualitative research, using three research tools such as questionnaires, reflection diary and teaching records. The data of questionnaires is analyzed by using the software SPSS19.0, and the questionnaire data analysis methods include descriptive analysis, frequency analysis and Person correlation analysis.The results show that:(1) English majors’ initial metacognitive level (M=2.9112) is at the medium level. The level of metacognitive knowledge is relatively low, and the metacognitive experience is insufficient; conditional knowledge, monitoring, planning, assessment levels need to be improved. After the first semester of professional English learning, the meatcognitive level (M=3.9702) is at high level of "usually" stage. Metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation are both improved significantly.(2) English majors’ initial self-efficacy level (M=3.025670) is at the medium level. The self-efficacy of listening and reading are relatively low, meaning that English majors are lack of self-efficacy on complex and changeful learning contents. After the first semester of professional English learning, the level of self-efficacy is at high level of "usually" stage. The self-efficacies of listening and reading are both improved, but also are relatively lower than that of speaking and writing.(3) The correlation between the development of metacognition and development of self-efficacy is a significantly positive correlation. Improvement of metacognition has a positive role to improve self-efficacy of learner.This study further explores the functions of metacognitive learning strategies training for improvement of the students’ metacognitive level and ability to use learning strategies. At the same time it enhances the understanding of how to effectively improve English majors’ English ability. Metacognition level and the level of self-efficacy have significantly positive correlation. Metacognitive level has a positive effect on self-efficacy level, and can provide a research direction for the future study of the development of usage of learning strategy of students and improvement of learning ability, through which it is expected to conduct more detailed study on relationship between metacognition level and self-efficacy level, to find out the more specific way of cultivating students’metacognitive level and self-efficacy level, and help students learn foreign language efficiently. In the process, students can learn to learn, learn to reflect, and learn to improve the ability of autonomous learning.