1743 - UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS' EPISTEMIC BELIEFS ABOUT ENGLISH LEARNING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY LEARNING

Session: P_D05S005 - Poster Session 5 - Division 5
AUTHORS:
Fujiwara Takayoshi (Mahidol University International College ~ Nakhonpathom ~ Thailand) , Akamatsu Daisuke (Kyoto University of Education ~ Kyoto ~ Japan)
Abstract text:
Introduction: Individuals' beliefs regarding knowledge and knowing have been extensively examined over the past three decades as epistemic beliefs, both at domain-general and domain-specific levels. However, epistemic beliefs related to language learning have rarely been empirically investigated. This study focuses on domain-specific epistemic beliefs concerning the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL).


Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify the nature of EFL learners' epistemic beliefs about learning English and to examine differences among the learners in terms of their epistemic beliefs. It also investigated the relationship between these beliefs and the use of learning strategies in vocabulary learning.


Method: Undergraduate students enrolled in an EFL course at universities in Japan were invited to participate in an online survey developed for this study (N = 448). The survey included items from three measurement instruments developed by Greene et al. (2010), Bong (2001), and Habók and Magyar (2018).


Results: Although confirmatory factor analysis failed to support Greene et al.'s (2010) model, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the 13-item epistemic belief measurement yielded a three-factor structure. The identified factors were labelled in accordance with Greene et al. (2010) as "Justification by Authority," "Simple and Certain Knowledge," and "Personal Justification." From cluster analysis, five clusters of EFL learners were identified, with two clusters comprising students with strong or weak beliefs across all three factors identified in the EFA. In terms of strategy use in vocabulary learning, differences were uncovered only among certain clusters.


Conclusions: This study empirically supports the dimensional structure of epistemic beliefs regarding EFL learning, as well as the groups of EFL learners exhibiting varying strengths of epistemic beliefs. The findings may suggest the unique nature of language learning and vocabulary learning, which can differ from knowledge and knowing in most other disciplines in numerous aspects.