PUBLIC SPEAKING SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS AND ANXIETY: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY AMONG OMANI EFL STUDENTS

This study investigates the pairwise correlation between public speaking self-efficacy beliefs and public speaking anxiety among Omani students in their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes. The study employed a quantitative approach to assess the correlation between students' confidence in public speaking and their anxiety levels. The results showed a weak negative correlation (r = -0.03) between public speaking self-efficacy beliefs and public speaking anxiety, with a p-value of 0.696, which means that there is no statistically significant relationship. These findings emphasize that students who perceive themselves as skilled in public speaking do not necessarily demonstrate diminished anxiety. This contradicts the assumption that heightened self-efficacy directly mitigates anxiety and highlights the complexity of psychological factors influencing public speaking performance. The results differ from previous studies in Western contexts that found a negative relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety. Cultural or contextual factors may clarify this discrepancy, suggesting that confidence alone may not alleviate anxiety in all educational settings. The research study underscores the necessity for targeted interventions beyond the mere enhancement of public speaking self-efficacy beliefs to alleviate public speaking anxiety in EFL classes. Subsequent research ought to utilize longitudinal study methodologies and more extensive populations to investigate this complex relationship further.