The Relationship between EFL Learners' Mindsets and English Achievement: Engagement and Self-regulation as Mediators

Authors
Leila Hassanzadeh 1
Saeideh Ahangari 1
Nasrin Hadidi Tamjid 2
1 Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch
2 Islamiz Azad University, Tabriz Branch
Abstract
In educational psychology, mindsets refer to a set of core beliefs about intelligence and its role in successful learning in a specific domain. This study investigated the extent to which, the EFL learners’ mindsets might predict their English achievement considering the mediating roles of engagement and self-regulation. The data were collected by means of three questionnaires: The Language Mindset Inventory (LMI), the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI), and the Academic Self-Regulated Learning Scale (A-SRL-S), as well as the institutes’ reports on their English achievement. We analyzed the data quantitatively using the SPSS 20 and Amos 8 Software. The results revealed that there was a significant direct relationship between language mindsets and English achievement of the EFL learners. Besides, this relationship was significantly mediated by the learners’ engagement and self-regulation. Drawing on the findings of this research, the challenge for teachers is to cultivate in students the mindsets that emphasize growth and potentials rather than constraints and stagnation.
Keywords
Engagement
English Achievement
Iranian EFL learners
Language Mindsets
self-regulation