The Relationship between Cognitive and Social Strategies on Students’ Speaking Self-Efficacy: A Mixed-Method Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.10553Keywords:
cognitive strategies; social strategies; speaking self-efficacy; EFL speaking; mixed-method study; vocational studentsAbstract
This study investigated the relationship between cognitive and social strategies and students’ speaking self-efficacy in English. The research was conducted at UPTD SMKN 1 Rangas, a vocational high school where students are expected to develop English speaking competence for academic and workplace communication. The study was motivated by the fact that several students experienced difficulty speaking English confidently and fluently, especially in internship and customer-service contexts. A mixed-method approach with a convergent parallel design was employed to obtain both statistical and qualitative evidence. The quantitative data were collected from 103 students selected through cluster random sampling from three classes: DKV, TGR, and Animation. The qualitative data were obtained from 15 students selected purposively based on high, middle, and low strategy-use profiles. The instruments consisted of an adapted Strategy Inventory for Language Learning questionnaire, a speaking self-efficacy questionnaire, and semi-structured interview guidelines. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, normality testing, and Pearson Product Moment correlation through SPSS. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically to explore students’ perceptions of the role of cognitive and social strategies in their speaking self-efficacy. The findings showed that cognitive strategies were used at a good level, with an overall achievement of 64.29%, while social strategies also appeared as meaningful interaction-based supports. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant moderate positive relationship between cognitive strategies and speaking self-efficacy (r = 0.444; p = 0.000). Social strategies showed a stronger moderate positive relationship with speaking self-efficacy (r = 0.585; p = 0.000). Interview findings confirmed that practicing, organizing ideas, asking questions, cooperating with peers, and receiving feedback helped students feel more confident in speaking English. The study concludes that cognitive and social strategies are significantly related to students’ speaking self-efficacy and should be integrated into vocational English instruction.
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