reading-self-efficacy
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- PaperLanguage Learning & Technology20 Jul 2026
The development of EFL learners’ self-efficacy in technology use environments
Xuelian Li, Manzhen Yang
A mixed-methods study tracked 102 EFL university students over 15 weeks and found significant increases in overall, speaking, listening, and writing self-efficacy in technology-rich environments. Qualitative analysis revealed how technological affordances shaped the four sources of self-efficacy, explaining why reading self-efficacy did not increase. Pedagogical implications focus on strengthening reading self-efficacy and optimizing technology use.
Original abstract
Self-efficacy plays a critical role in language learning motivation, performance, and achievement. However, limited research has examined how different dimensions of English self-efficacy evolve over time and the mechanisms underlying such development in technology use environments. To address these gaps, the present study adopted a mixed-methods design. A total of 102 university students completed questionnaires at three time points over a 15-week period, and 10 participants subsequently took part in semi-structured follow-up interviews. Quantitative findings revealed a significant increase in overall English self-efficacy, as well as in three specific dimensions: speaking, listening, and writing self-efficacy. Qualitative findings further demonstrated how the four sources of self-efficacy, shaped by technological affordances, were associated with students’ efficacy beliefs and helped explain why reading self-efficacy did not show a statistically significant increase within the same learning ecology. The study concluded by discussing pedagogical implications for strengthening reading self-efficacy and optimizing the use of technology in language learning, as well as limitations of the study and directions for future research.