SELF-EFFICACY AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN LANGUAGE LEARNING ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION AMONG GRADE 10 ENGLISH LEARNERS

Education

Many high school learners struggle to acquire a second language such as English due to psychological and emotional factors that disrupt the learning process, with language learning anxiety commonly linked to reduced performance, lower motivation, and limited classroom participation. This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of learners’ self-efficacy on the relationship between language learning anxiety and language learning motivation among Grade 10 students in six public Junior High and Integrated Schools in Montevista District, Davao de Oro during the school year 2025–2026. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive-correlational design with mediation analysis, the study involved 252 Grade 10 learners and employed three adapted instruments: the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), the Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy (QESE), and the Simplified Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). Findings revealed high levels of language learning anxiety, self-efficacy, and motivation among the respondents. Significant positive relationships were established between language learning anxiety and self-efficacy, between self-efficacy and motivation, and between anxiety and motivation. Mediation analysis further indicated that self-efficacy fully and significantly mediates the relationship between language learning anxiety and motivation, suggesting that the influence of anxiety on learners’ motivation operates entirely through their belief in their capability to perform language tasks. Overall, the results highlight the essential role of self-efficacy in transforming the effects of anxiety into motivational outcomes, emphasizing its importance in designing targeted interventions that foster confidence and support more effective language learning.

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