| Abstrakt: |
Learning a second/foreign language is a complicated process involving many factors and elements to occur effectively. It requires an investigation of variables and issues related to EFL learners in the process of learning. A limited number of studies have been performed concerning student-related factors to realize EFL learners' spiritual intelligence and its relation to language learning. The study helped fill this gap by exploring the correlation between EFL learners' Spiritual Intelligence (SI) and Learner Autonomy (LA). A total of 365 EFL students were chosen from different branches of Islamic Azad University. Two validated and reliable questionnaires on SI (Azadi et al., in press) and LA (Dixon, 2011) were distributed among the participants. The SI questionnaire is a 27-item self-report measure consisting of four main factors, and the LA questionnaire contains 38 questions covering six factors. The correlation between the two variables was determined through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed a significant relationship between SI and LA. Furthermore, two of the constructs, learning English for personal, social, and educational benefits (r=.93, p<.05) and learning English to promote religious values (r=.82, p<.05), were considered significant predictors of autonomy. These findings revealed that paying attention to the correlation between SI and LA is particularly important. The study recommended implications for practitioners, professionals, academics, theorists, and teacher training centers. Awareness of SI and its impact on EFL education and student-related factors can provide opportunities for improving EFL learners' performance and ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
