THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND STUDENTS’ HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS IN EFL LEARNING CONTEXT AT SMKS PRO-SKILL INDONESIA

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the correlation between students’ self-efficacy and their Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. The background of this study is based on the demands of 21st-century education, which require students to develop higher-order thinking skills to comprehend texts critically, as well as the role of psychological factors such as self-efficacy in influencing students’ cognitive engagement and academic performance. This study employed a quantitative correlational design involving 91 students selected from a population of 118 students using Slovin’s formula with a 5% margin of error. The data were collected through a self-efficacy questionnaire based on Bandura’s theory and an essay-based HOTS reading comprehension test referring to the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation and simple linear regression. The findings revealed a positive and statistically significant correlation between self-efficacy and students’ HOTS (r = 0.267, p = 0.011). The mean score of students’ self-efficacy was categorized as high (M = 2.93), while the mean score of HOTS was 9.57. Furthermore, self-efficacy contributed 7.1% to students’ HOTS. In conclusion, students with higher self-efficacy tend to demonstrate better higher-order thinking skills. Therefore, strengthening students’ self-belief may support the development of HOTS in vocational EFL learning contexts.