Ananlysis of the relationship between vocational high school students' success with their self-regulation strategies and self-efficacy beliefs in English

In this study, it was examined whether the self-regulation strategies and self-efficacy perceptions of ninth grade Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School students predict their success in English course or not. The aim of the study is to improve the learning environment and make contribution to students' success by determining the relationship between the self-regulation strategies, self-efficacy belief and success of English. 15% (~10 schools) of the 69 active Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools out of 70 in the central districts of İzmir were randomly selected as representing the proportion in the universe. The sample of the study consisted of 542 ninth grade students out of 57179 studying at these schools. "Self-Regulatory Learning Strategies Scale" developed by Kadıoğlu, Uzuntiryaki and Çapa Aydın (2011), "English Related Self-Efficacy Belief Scale" developed by Bümen and Hancı Yanar (2012) and ninth grade "English Course Achievement Test" were used as data collection tools. Firstly, the descriptive statistics of the Self-Regulatory Learning Strategies Scale and English Self-Efficacy Belief Scale and English Course Achievement Test scores of the students participating in the research was performed. Then Pearson Correlation Analysis was performed to determine whether there was a significant relationship between independent variables (self-regulatory learning strategies and English self-efficacy beliefs) and dependent variable (English achievement). Finally, Simple and Multiple Regression Analysis were performed to determine the predictive status of self-regulatory learning strategies and self-efficacy perceptions of English in the English course. Self-regulation skills (t= 4.75; p < .01) and self-efficacy perceptions (t= 13.37; p< .01) were significant predictors of English achievement. Moreover, it was found that students' self-efficacy perception (R2= .24) was more powerful predictor of explaining English success than self-regulation strategies (R2= .04). Together, these two predictor variables account for approximately 25% of the total variance (R = .50; R2 = .25; p< .01) in English Course achievement.