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New Directions in L2 Self-efficacy Research: Comparing Bifactor and Second-Order Models in the English Public Speaking Domain

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Abstract

Reflecting an alternative model comparison framework and grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and in western and Chinese English Public Speaking (EPS) competences literature, we examine the possibility of a hierarchical structure of the EPS self-efficacy construct. In particular, we contrast an established first-order model of the EPS self-efficacy with two higher-order rival models, testing for subordinate (second-order model) versus nested (bifactor model) relationships in a sample of 203 Chinese EFL college students. From a theoretical perspective, the results supported the bifactor model as a strong conceptual foundation for understanding the EPS self-efficacy construct as nested. From a practical perspective, this conceptualization would allow for gauging EPS self-efficacy development both holistically and by subdomains. From a research methodology perspective, this study is among the first to bring the bifactor model into the broader field of L2 research. Other implications are discussed.

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Funding

This study was funded by Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Hunan Province (20YBA136), China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Foreign Languages Department, Changzhi University, Changzhi, 046011, China

    Xue Zhang

  2. Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology, Washington State University, 1155 College Avenue, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    Bruce W. Austin

  3. Department of Teaching and Learning, Washington State University Tri-Cities Campus, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA, 99354, USA

    Yuliya Ardasheva

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  1. Xue Zhang
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Correspondence to Xue Zhang.

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Appendix A: English Public Speaking Self-efficacy Scale

Appendix A: English Public Speaking Self-efficacy Scale

  1. 1.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can speak with accuracy (with no/few mistakes).

  2. 2.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can speak with fluency.

  3. 3.

    When giving an English speech in public, on an unfamiliar/difficult topic, I can always speak effectively.

  4. 4.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can speak with emotion.

  5. 5.

    I can give an English speech in public when I am very nervous.

  6. 6.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can speak with confidence.

  7. 7.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can organize my speech so that the conclusion flows logically from what was previously said.

  8. 8.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can use appropriate language (e.g., vocabulary, grammatical structures) to address different topics.

  9. 9.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can make my central idea clear to the audience.

  10. 10.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can use inductive techniques (proceeding from details to generalization/ argument) to structure a speech.

  11. 11.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can use deductive techniques (proceeding from generalization/ argument) to structure a speech.

  12. 12.

    When giving an English speech in public, I can use the conclusion to restate my main points.

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Zhang, X., Austin, B.W. & Ardasheva, Y. New Directions in L2 Self-efficacy Research: Comparing Bifactor and Second-Order Models in the English Public Speaking Domain. J Psycholinguist Res 52, 569–587 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-022-09910-7

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