Self-Efficiency and Intrinsic Motivation as a Predictor of IELTS Reading Comprehension

This study attempts to measure self-efficiency and intrinsic motivations as a predicators of IELTS reading comprehension. In order to address this issue, this quantitative study was conducted on some randomly selected intact students at two language institutes in Isfahan. Both institutes administered the answer the tests. The researcher used the scaled scores the students received in the areas of reading comprehension and language on the tests to make comparisons. Data to formulate sample comparisons of the two groups was gathered from the established student data base in each institute. The results revealed that: (1) self-efficiency and intrinsic motivations are as predicators of Iranian IELTS reading comprehension; (2) the experimental group obtained somewhat higher making the difference between the pretest and posttest scores statistically significant; (3) the difference between the pretest and the posttest for the control group was not statistically significant; and (4) the experimental students were more differentiated than the control students, as shown by a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of both groups in the posttest in favor of the experimental students. In light of these results, the following recommendations are made: (1) that a shift from noncommunicative to communicative IELTS seems necessary; (2) educational policy-makers should consider the applicability of the different types of learning styles in the Iran context; (3) for applying learning styles principles conducting IELTS in-service training course for IELTS teacher is needed; (4) students should be encouraged to speak the target language with their colleagues; and (5) local IELTS textbook writers should work along communicative lines.