A study of EFL teachers' locus of control and self-regulation and the moderating role of self-efficacy

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between EFL teachers' locus of control and self-regulation and the moderating role of self-efficacy. To empirically investigate the theorized relationship between self-regulation and locus of control, 63 English teachers were selected according to a convenience sampling from different language institutes in Mashhad. The participants were asked to complete the' Teacher Self-Regulation Scale' as well as the 'Teacher Locus of Control Scale'. The data supported the theoretical expectation of a linkage between self-regulation and locus of control. The results indicated a significant relationship between teachers' self-regulation and internal locus of control. It was found that about 48% of the variation in teacher self-regulation can be explained by taking their internal LOC into account. Subsequent data analyses indicated that among the components of self-regulation, 'mastery goal orientation', and 'intrinsic interest' have the highest correlations with teacher locus of control. The findings also illustrated that teacher self-efficacy had no significant impact on the relationship between self-regulation and locus of control. This suggests that regardless of the teacher self-efficacy level, a teacher self-regulation is related to his/her internal locus of control. The results derived from the present study should encourage teacher educators to take advantage of this relationship by providing EFL teachers with programs and experiences for developing effective paths for enhancing teacher self-regulatory skills as well as their internal tendencies and perceptions. © 2012 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.