An Empirical Study On The Relationship Between Self-efficacy,Language Learning Strategies And English Academic Achievement Among Hani Junior High School Students

In the research of English education,an increasing number of researchers have changed the research perspective from studying how to teach to studying how to help students learn.Researchers regard learners and their learning process as an important research topic.And the individual differences that affect learners’ English learning have become a hot topic that many researchers are devoted to studying in recent years.Among the many influencing factors,language learning strategies and self-efficacy have also become important research content.However,researchers mainly focus on college students,few pay attention to middle school students let alone middle school students who are ethnic minorities.This study endeavors to investigate the situation of English learning strategies and self-efficacy among ethnic minority students and the relation between language learning strategy,self-efficacy and English academic achievement.This research investigates 349 Hani junior high school students,adopts the mixed design,employs the English Language Learning Strategy Scale and the Self-efficacy Scale in English learning as instruments,which is supplemented by the interviews,to explore the relation between learning strategies,self-efficacy and English academic achievement.In this study,SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the quantitative data to explore the general situation of students? self-efficacy,language learning strategies and their English academic achievement;the correlation between self-efficacy,language learning strategies and English academic achievement;the important self-efficacy and language learning strategies predictors of English academic achievement;significant differences in Hani students? self-efficacy and language learning strategies related to the participants? demographic variables.Content analysis was made to measure the interview data.The results show that:(1)The general level of self-efficacy in English learning among Hani ethnic minority students is relatively low;the overall level of students?use of English learning strategies is low,too.(2)Self-efficacy in English learning among Hani students is significantly and positively but weakly correlated with their English academic performance;Students? English language learning strategies are significantly and positively but weakly correlated with English academic achievement;Students? self-efficacy in English learning and their English language learning strategies are positively,strongly and significantly correlated.(3)Two factors(sense of ability to complete tasks,confidence in reaching goals)of self-efficacy in English learning are the important predictors of the English academic achievement of the Hani students;Compensation and social strategies are the important predictors of the students? English academic achievement.(4)Gender differences in self-efficacy exists among Hani students,and the overall level of English learning self-efficacy of girls is higher than boys?;There are significant differences in students? English learning self-efficacy in grades;Hani students? memory strategies,cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies are significantly different in gender,and female students?level of strategy use is higher than that of male students;There is a significant difference in the use of compensation strategies among students of different grades.The second-grade students use compensation strategies at the least frequency,and the third-grade use compensation strategies at the highest frequency.This study enriches the study of English language learning strategies and self-efficacy.The research findings will provide information for students and help them get to know their overall situation of self-efficacy,language learning strategies in English learning,and give them suggestions about how to use language learning strategies with great efficiency and how to improve their self-efficacy and confidence for English study so as to improve English academic achievement.