Associations between university students’ beliefs and their learning strategy use

Abstract

This study aimed at describing Iranian University EFL learners’ beliefs about language learning and exploring how such beliefs might affect the deployment of different cognitive, meta-cognitive, social, and affective language learning strategies. A group of 203 undergraduate learners of English selected randomly from five major Iranian universities consented to participate in the study. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed for the collection of the required data including questionnaire and interview data. Quantitative aspects of learners’ beliefs about language learning and their learning strategy use were investigated using the “Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory” and the "Strategy Inventory for Language Learning", respectively. Qualitative data collected through interviews were added to further clarify possible associations. Exploratory factor analyses were carried out to determine emerging underlying categories of beliefs about learning and learning strategies. Descriptive and inferential data analyses indicated that beliefs about language learning were significantly related to language learning strategy use and language proficiency. Language learners' self-efficacy about language learning and “the perceived value of language learning” correlated with the use of all types of learning strategies except meta-cognitive ones, in which the majority of the learners seemed to be weaker. Moreover, items that loaded on the factor of “formal practice” seemed to discourage the use of compensation, affective, social, and functional-practice strategies by learners. The findings of the study and the related discussions point to possible culture specific considerations in the study of beliefs about learning and strategies for language learning. They also sensitize teachers to their learners' preconceived ideas and expectations about learning and give them some clues on how these might affect their pedagogical practices.