The relation between anxiety, motivation,self-efficacy beliefs towards English class and English class achievement of high school students

The aim of this research is to examine the relations between English language learning anxiety, motivation, self-efficacy beliefs and English class achievement of high school students. In line with this aim, the sample of the present study consisted of 1505 high school students, studying at 9, 10, 11 and 12th grades during 2012-2013 Academic Year at a total of 10 Anatolian High Schools and Anatolian Vocational High Schools in Bolu. The data regarding the students' foreign language learning anxiety were collected through the "Foreign Language Learning Anxiety Scale" developed by Horwitz, Horwitz ve Cope (1986); the data regarding the students' foreign language motivation were collected through the subscales called "Motivational Intensity, Desire to Learn English, Attitudes toward Learning English and Instrumental Orientation" of "The Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB)" developed by Gardner (1985); the data regarding the students' foreign language self-efficacy beliefs were collected through the subscale called "Self-efficacy" of "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)" developed by Pintrinch and De Groot (1990). Students' grades in relation to English classes were obtained by the researcher at the end of the spring semester of 2012-2013 Academic Year with the assistance of vice principals of the high schools where the present data were collected. The results of the present study demonstrated that; 1) students' anxiety towards English class, motivation, self-efficacy belief levels and English language class academic achievement did not differ according to their school type, gender, class level, parents' educational status, whether there is someone in the family (mother, father, sibling) who knows English or not, how many hours they study English on average in a week and the monthly income of the family. 2) students' English class achievement average was 69,04. In other words, English academic achievement of students was slightly above average. 3) students' anxiety towards English class, motivation and self-efficacy belief levels were high. 4) all correlations between students' anxiety towards English class, motivation, self-efficacy belief levels and English language class academic achievement were statistically significant but weak at both .05 and 0.01 level. 5) correlation between students' Social Desirability subscale scores, total scores of Social Desirability Scale and other scales was low and students were not under the influence of social desirability while answering the scale questions. 6) students' anxiety towards English class affected their English class academic achievement directly most and indirectly self-efficacy belief and motivation towards English class affected their English class academic achievement respectively. Implications for education and directions for future studies were also discussed in the present study.