EFL learners’ versus instructors’ attributions of success and failure factors: A complexity theory perspective

A limited number of studies have investigated the factors that influence academic success and failure from the perspectives of both students and lecturers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The present study utilizes a complexity theory framework to uncover academic success and failure factors from the perspectives of Saudi EFL learners and lecturers in a public university context. The sample consisted of 64 EFL lecturers and 219 EFL students who completed the success and failure questionnaires adapted from Killen’s study. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyse the data. The results support the complexity theory perspective, where teachers and students are unique systems, each with their own attitudes, beliefs, and influences, shaped through interactions with other systems. Lecturers’ and students’ perceptions of success and failure factors differed significantly. Lecturers mostly attributed student success to their pedagogical practices, while students mostly attributed success to their positive dispositions, emotions, and attitudes. On the other hand, lecturers largely attributed student failure to student-related factors, while students attributed their failure to negative teacher traits and pedagogy. These results are in line with the concept of self-serving bias. Furthermore, students placed more emphasis on the role of their ecological context in their success and failure than teachers did. The results of this study may help inform teachers and language programs to provide conducive learning environments for EFL students to maximize their chances of success.