The current study examined the extent to which Bandura's hypothesized sources of self-efficacy could predict speaking self-efficacy among English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners, as well as whether the predictions were contingent on learners' individual differences. A total of 731 Chinese EFL undergraduate students participated in the study. Multigroup analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was conducted to analyse the collected data. The findings revealed that mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological and emotional states significantly predicted students' speaking self-efficacy. Additionally, individual differences, such as gender, academic major, and self-assessment, exerted diverse influences on the relationship between speaking self-efficacy and its four sources. This study offers a comprehensive, context-sensitive understanding of how EFL learners develop speaking self-efficacy, paving the way for more tailored and effective teaching practices. These insights provide a strong foundation for improving speaking self-efficacy in EFL contexts. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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