Correlation Between Reading Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Reading Comprehension Ability of 9th Grade Oromiffa Language Learners

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between reading self-efficacy beliefs and reading comprehension ability among ninth grade students whose mother tongue is Oromiffa and learn Amharic as a second language. The study followed a correlational research design as it examined the relationship between variables. Using random sampling method, ninth grade students who are learning Amharic as a second language in the Oromia Special Zone of Oromia Region participated in the study. In order to collect data from these research participants, a written reading self-efficacy beliefs questionnaire and a reading comprehension test were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. According to the results obtained from the data analysis, for the research questions asking about the level of reading  self-efficacy beliefs and reading comprehension ability of the ninth grade students, the students' reading self-efficacy beliefs and reading comprehension ability were shown to be at the middle level, while for the question of what kind of relationship the students' reading self-efficacy beliefs  has with the students' reading comprehension ability, the Spearman’s  rho test revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between students' reading self-efficacy beliefs and their reading comprehension ability. Finally, this study is limited to the performance of 9th grade students who are fluent in Oromiffa who are learning Amharic as a second language. Therefore, it would be good if studies were conducted on other second languages and other grade levels in order to make comprehensive conclusions about the relationship between reading self-efficacy beliefs and reading comprehension.