Exploring L2 Listening Instruction, Self-Efficacy, and Strategy Use: A Mediation Analysis

Area of Science:

• Second Language Acquisition
• Educational Psychology
• Applied Linguistics

Background:

• Effective English listening instruction is crucial for language learners.
• Understanding the interplay between teaching methods, self-efficacy, and strategy use is vital.
• Previous research has not fully explored the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct types of English listening instruction.
• To examine the relationships between listening instruction, self-efficacy, and strategy use.
• To investigate the mediating role of listening self-efficacy between instruction and strategy use.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to categorize listening instruction types.
• Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationships and mediation effects.
• Data collected from English as a Foreign Language (EFL) listening classrooms.

Main Results:

• Four types of English listening instruction were identified: process-based, comprehension-based, self-regulation-based, and strategy-based.
• Listening self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between strategy-based instruction and listening strategy use.
• Listening self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between self-regulation-based instruction and listening strategy use.

Conclusions:

• Strategy-based and self-regulation-based listening instruction effectively enhance listening strategy use through improved self-efficacy.
• These findings offer insights into optimizing teaching practices for better listening skill development.
• The study underscores the importance of fostering self-efficacy in EFL listening instruction.