Is Self-efficacy Correlated with English Proficiency Levels? —A Case Study of Taiwanese Arts Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between arts students’ English proficiency level and their self-efficacy. Many studies have proved that self-efficacy is a significant predictor of learning and achievement (Multon, Brown, & Lent, 1991; Pajares, 1996, 1997; Schunk & Pajares, 2005). Does this apply to arts students? Arts students spend most of their time practicing skills related to their professions. They have great confidence with what they were doing in their own fields, but they have to sacrifice the time that could be spent studying English. Therefore, are arts students’ self-efficacy correlated with their English proficiency levels? A total of sixty-eight students participated in this study. They were equally divided into two groups: High Proficiency Learners (HPL) and Low Proficiency Learners (LPL). The results show that there was no significant correlation between students’ English proficiency levels and their self-efficacy levels. The results did not support Bandura’s theory. However, the findings did indicate that although arts students’ English proficiency levels were poor, especially for students in the LPL group, they did believe that they had the ability to achieve a certain task. They did well in their professions but not in English. Further studies and more qualitative and quantitative data on arts students are needed.