A Latent Profile Analysis of Chinese College Students’ Self-Efficacy and English Writing MOOC Learning

The present study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore 586 Chinese college students’ profiles of self-efficacy in English writing MOOC learning context. Based on LPA results, differences in linguistic self-efficacy, self-regulatory efficacy, performance self-efficacy were compared. LPA generated three profiles of students’ self-efficacy, i.e., low on all self-efficacy, average self-efficacy, moderately high self-efficacy. The results of ANOVAs revealed that the three profiles showed significant differences in interaction and discussion, perseverance in online learning, attitude value, preference value, flexibility in online learning. These findings of the present study provide constructive insights into the subclasses of students’ self-efficacy and have significant implications for the self-efficacy research and its implementation in educational intervention in college English writing MOOC based second language acquisition to better improve learners’ English writing proficiency.