Attributional Patterns with Respect to Major and Attendance in Private Language Schools: A Case of EFL Context

This study examined the attributions of high school students for their success and failure in learning a foreign language. To this end, the Attribution Theory for Foreign Language Learners Questionnaire was administered to 708 EFL learners studying in high schools in Mashhad, and villages around Mashhad, a city in the north-east of Iran. The aims of the study were to find out the factors to which students majoring in Humanities, Sciences, and Math ascribe their successes and failures and to see whether attendance in private language classes makes any difference in attributional patterns. To analyze the data, Multiple Independent t-test and One-way ANOVA were employed. Findings suggest that different majors attribute differently. Likewise, significant differences emerged in attributions regarding attendance in private language classes. Findings provide some suggestions for teachers and educators.