From belief to behavior: behavioral engagement as the proximal link between self-efficacy and L2 achievement

Abstract

Learning engagement (LE) has been recognized as a key mediator connecting learning beliefs and achievement, but previous studies have examined its sub-dimensions—behavioral (BE), emotional (EE), and cognitive (CE) engagement—either in isolation or as parallel constructs, overlooking their potential sequential relationships. This analytical approach may obscure how these dimensions work together and yield inconsistent findings. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Broaden-and-Build Theory (BBT), this study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to compare a sequential mediation model with a parallel alternative among Chinese EFL undergraduates preparing for the CET-4. Self-efficacy and the three engagement dimensions were measured concurrently approximately two months before CET-4, with its scores obtained from official records upon release. The sequential model fit the data better than the parallel alternative, consistent with the hypothesized sequential framework. Self-efficacy was associated with BE through independent emotional and cognitive pathways, and a serial pathway with EE theoretically specified prior to CE. Among the engagement dimensions, only BE was directly associated with subsequent L2 achievement. Self-efficacy also retained a direct association with achievement. Within the hypothesized engagement framework, BE was the most proximal engagement dimension associated with internal psychological states and L2 achievement. The findings offer an integrative perspective on past inconsistencies and suggest that self-efficacy is associated with language test performance through both sustained behavioral investment and direct, unmediated processes.