Exploring Reading Anxiety from the Perspective of Social Cognitive Theory

Reading anxiety is a significant emotional factor that can undermine learners’ engagement and achievement in second or foreign language reading. For many learners, reading is not merely a cognitive task but an experience shaped by confidence, classroom practices, and the learning environment. Drawing on Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory, this quantitative study explores how personal beliefs, reading-related behaviours, and environmental influences interact to shape learners’ reading anxiety. Data were collected through a 27-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from Milao and Vibulphol (2020) and Zoghi (2012), administered to 508 Malaysian university students from Science and Technology and Business and Management disciplines. The findings indicate moderate levels of reading anxiety across all three factors, with learners reporting greater anxiety when facing vocabulary difficulties and anxiety-provoking instructional practices such as being called upon to translate texts. Significant, positive relationships were found among personal, behavioural, and environmental factors, reflecting the reciprocal interactions proposed by Social Cognitive Theory. Differences in personal and behavioural reading anxiety were also observed across academic disciplines, while environmental factors showed no significant variation. Overall, the study highlights the complex and interconnected nature of reading anxiety and underscores the importance of supportive instructional practices and strategy-focused reading instruction in fostering learners’ confidence and engagement.