THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AND STUDENTS’ HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS IN READING COMPREHENSION AT UNIVERSITAS LANCANG KUNING

Abstract

In contemporary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, students are required not only to understand texts linguistically but also to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) such as analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information. Alongside cognitive competence, psychological factors particularly academic self-efficacy play a critical role in shaping students’ learning engagement and academic performance. However, empirical studies investigating the relationship between academic self-efficacy and HOTS in EFL reading contexts remain limited, especially in Indonesian higher education settings. This study aims to examine the correlation between academic self-efficacy and students’ higher-order thinking skills in reading comprehension. A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 91 students from the English Education Study Program at Universitas Lancang Kuning. Data were collected through validated questionnaires measuring academic self-efficacy and HOTS and analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation via SPSS version 26. The findings revealed a strong positive correlation between academic self-efficacy and HOTS (r = 0.716, p < .001). The coefficient of determination (R² = 0.513) indicates that academic self-efficacy contributes 51.3% to students’ higher-order thinking skills. These findings suggest that students’ beliefs in their academic capabilities significantly influence their cognitive performance in reading comprehension. The study highlights the importance of integrating motivational and cognitive instructional strategies to enhance critical literacy in EFL contexts.