Chinese students’ English learning self-efficacy, enjoyment, L2 grit, disciplinary difference, and performance: a moderated mediation model

The study examined the interrelationships between English learning self-efficacy, enjoyment, L2 grit, disciplinary difference, and learning performance in English language learners within China’s tertiary education system. We conducted an online questionnaire for 289 Chinese undergraduates. Data were analyzed through SPSS 26 and AMOS 24. To confirm the scales’ validity and test the hypothesized model, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed. The results showed that: (a) self-efficacy, enjoyment, and L2 grit positively predict learning performance; (b) learning enjoyment and L2 grit partially mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and learning performance; (c) disciplinary difference moderates the relationship between L2 grit and performance in the mediating model. This study provides insight into the predictive psycho-emotional factors that may influence English as a foreign language (EFL) learning performance among Chinese non-English major undergraduates. Educators should be aware of the effect of these learner variables on students’ English learning and pedagogical implications were discussed.