Creating a Reliable and Valid Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and English Test To Raise Learners' L2 Achievement via Raising Their Self-Efficacy.

This study investigated whether a self-efficacy course would raise English-as-a-Second-Language learners' English ability by raising their self-efficacy. It also examined the reliability and validity of a self-efficacy questionnaire and English test. Participants were 293 Japanese college freshmen. Researchers developed two versions of an English test (in English) and a self-efficacy questionnaire (in Japanese). The reliability of the self-efficacy pre- and post-questionnaire was calculated using the Cronbach alpha. The English pretest-posttest reliability was calculated using the K-R20. Each of four instructors graded the writing and speaking portions of the English test twice. The speaking interviews were recorded and played back only once during the second grading. Results indicated that differences between the pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire scores were significant. The results suggested that the self-efficacy questionnaire and English test were reliable and valid, noting that students' self-efficacy and English ability increased over the period of instruction. Eight appendixes include the course objectives, the English test, the Japanese self-efficacy questionnaire, the English translation of the self-efficacy questionnaire, pretest and posttest writing and speaking results, writing and speaking score guides. (Contains 13 references, 9 tables, and 2 figures.) (SM)