Causal attributions and self-efficacy beliefs of efl learners at Mersin University English Preparatory School

The aim of this study was to investigate the learners' causal attributions for success and failure, the different attributional patterns between success-oriented and failure-oriented learners, the participants' self-efficacy beliefs about learning English and the relationship between causal attributions and self-efficacy beliefs. The participants of the study were 150 students studying English at preparatory class at Mersin University. Three questionnaires were admisinistered to the participants; LAAS (Language Achievement Attribution Scale), CDSII (Causal Dimension Scale II), and Questionnaire of Self-efficacy. Causal attributions for success and failure were ability, effort, task difficulty, mood, luck and the teacher in LAAS. The attributions were analyzed in terms of the dimensions of locus of causality (internal-external), stabilty (stable-unstable), personal control dimension and external control dimension. Self-efficacy questionnaire had 32 items asking the participants how well they think they can carry out the given tasks in English. It was explored in the study that 75,3% of the participants percieved themselves as unsuccessful (failure-oriented). The results of the study indicated that the participants in general tend to attribute their achievement to external reasons like task difficulty. The difference between success-oriented and failure-oriented participants showed that success-oriented learners were more likely to make ability attribution while failure-oriented learners made task difficulty attribution. The dimensions of the causal attributions were analysed and according to the results success-oriented learners' attributions were more internal, stable, and personally controllable in comparison to the failure-oriented group. Another result of the study concerned self-efficacy beliefs. The results of the study showed that participants in general had a high self-efficacy forlearning language and their self-efficacy beliefs receptive and productive skills were nearly the same. The last purpose of the study was to uncover the relationship between attributions and self-efficacy beliefs. According to the results, the participants with higher self-efficacy beliefs attributed their success to more internal and personally controllable causes. Keywords: Causal attributions, dimensions of causal attributions, self-efficacy beliefs, success-oriented learners, failure-oriented learners.