English language learners' self-efficacy profiles and relationship with self-regulated learning strategies

•Latent profile analysis identified three self-efficacy profiles of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.•The high self-efficacy profile represents students who spent more years of studying English.•The greater number of female students in the medium and high English self-efficacy profiles.•Self-regulated learning strategies and language interpretation strategies differed across self-efficacy profiles.

This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine different patterns of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' self-efficacy beliefs for learning English. The Questionnaire of English Self-Efficacy was completed by undergraduate students in Korea. The LPA results revealed three groups representing low, medium, and high self-efficacy profiles. The high and medium self-efficacy profiles represent students who spent more years of studying English and are disproportionately female compared to the low self-efficacy profile. The low self-efficacy profile was significantly different from the medium and high self-efficacy profiles with respect to its self-regulated learning strategies and language interpretation strategies. The ESL learners' self-efficacy profiles identified in this study can be used to tailor instructions appropriately.