Task Value Beliefs and Self‐Efficacy in Adolescent English as a Foreign Language Learners

Task value beliefs, a central motivational factor, are pivotal to academic outcomes among English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This study employed a complementary design that integrated variable‐ and person‐centered approaches to examine the relationship between EFL task value beliefs, including attainment, utility, and intrinsic values, and EFL self‐efficacy. We also sought to explore potentially heterogeneous subgroups of EFL task value beliefs. This complementary approach comprised two stages. First, a two‐wave cross‐lagged panel analysis was conducted on 802 junior high school students (361 boys) in Grades 7 and 8 from Jiangsu province, China. The results indicated that EFL intrinsic value significantly predicted EFL self‐efficacy 6 months later, while baseline EFL self‐efficacy positively predicted all three types of EFL task value beliefs. Second, using the same sample, latent profile analysis (LPA) identified two distinct EFL task value belief profiles at Time 2: the “Reduced Intrinsic Motivation Group” and the “High‐Value‐Oriented Learners.” EFL self‐efficacy significantly predicted the likelihood of membership in high‐value‐oriented learners six months later. By integrating variable‐ and person‐centered approaches, this study uncovered the complex relationship between task value beliefs and EFL self‐efficacy in adolescent learners, advancing our understanding of EFL task value heterogeneity and providing actionable insights for practitioners.