Grow to Lead: Evaluating the Role of the English Students Association in Developing Self-Efficacy

Abstract

This study looks at how the English Students Association (ESA) helps students build self-efficacy. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, interviews were conducted with fifteen ESA members at STKIP Syekh Mansur from different roles in the organization. The interview questions were adapted from the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001) and adjusted for ESA activities. The findings show that ESA programs increase students’ confidence in mastering skills (average 3.4) and learning new concepts (3.5), which reflects Bandura’s idea of mastery experiences. Students also felt confident in completing tasks (3.2) and overall performance (3.3). However, confidence was lower when facing complex challenges (2.4) and difficult work (2.7), pointing to the need for better emotional regulation. ESA supports self-efficacy through direct practice, peer modeling, encouragement, and experiences in stressful but valuable situations. This study highlights the unique role of discipline-based student organizations in developing self-efficacy and offers practical insights for faculty, program managers, and students to design activities that combine language learning with resilience.