STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY IN DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS IN THE TOEFL PREPARATION PROGRAM

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between students' self-efficacy and listening skill development within an intensive TOEFL preparation program, while qualitatively exploring the process underlying students’ self-efficacy. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-method design, the quantitative phase involved 38 participants who completed the Questionnaire on English Self-efficacy (QESE) alongside took pre-test and post-test TOEFL listening assessments, with data analyzed through Pearson Correlation and descriptive statistics. The qualitative phase conducted semi-structured interviews with three purposively selected participants representing high, moderate, and low self-efficacy profiles, with data examined though thematic analysis. Quantitative result revealed a weak and statistically insignificant relationship between self-efficacy and listening improvement (r = 0.158; p > 0.05), indicating that self-efficacy does not function as direct or independent predictor of listening development in short-term, high-stakes preparation contexts. Qualitative findings indicated that students’ self-efficacy was frequently mis-calibrated with actual performance and was shaped by emotional reaction such as anxiety and frustration, as well as by contextual and technical factors including audio quality and classroom conditions. Overall, the study suggests that self-efficacy function as dynamic and context-dependent belief whose influence on TOEFL listening development is mediated by strategic competence, emotional regulation, and supportive learning environments rather than acting as direct predictor of performance.