Reza Taherkhani - Department of English, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.
Reza Moradi - Department of Linguistics, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.

This mixed methods nationwide research aimed to examine the relationships between three variables; namely, self-efficacy (S-E), emotional intelligence (EI), autonomy (A), their sub-constructs and reading comprehension ability of Persian second language (PSL) students. Participants were ۱۴۱ PSL students from ۲۸ different countries studying at ۱۲ universities across Iran. Data were collected through S-E, EI, A scales, and a reading comprehension test and were analyzed using Pearson correlation. The results revealed that there were significant links between the variables and their sub-constructs and reading comprehension ability. Also, structured interviews were administrated with ۴۵ participants, the results of which confirmed those obtained from quantitative instruments. Moreover, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to access more in-depth perception of the variables and explore the strengths of the causal relationships. The three independent variables strongly predicted reading comprehension, with S-E being the strongest predictor. Also, three out of four sub-constructs of EI, and two out of three sub-constructs of A were powerful predictors of reading comprehension. In terms of the increasing number of PSL learners, the findings of the present study could be helpful for L۲ (particularly PSL) teachers, learners, and academic policymakers.

Individual psychological factors, Self-efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, Autonomy, reading comprehension, Persian second language learners