A Course Based on Connectivism to Enhance EFL Pre-Master Candidates’ Research Competences and their Academic Self-Confidence

 ABSTRACT
      The present research aimed at developing a course based on connectivism to enhance EFL pre-master candidates’ research competence and measure its effect on their academic self-confidence. The research followed the quasi-experimental one group design. It followed the mixed approach method where it was divided into quantitative part where statistical analysis, using non-parametric statistics, of some questions of the pre-post research competence test and the other division was a quantitative part where the rest of the questions were analyzed qualitatively. Their academic self-confidence was measured by the implementation of a questionnaire by the end of the course. Participants were 12 EFL pre-master candidates at The Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University who were tested before the implementation of the course and re-tested after the intervention. Results showed that candidates’ research competences were enhanced in the overall scores as well as in each sub-competence, namely; stating research title & differentiating variables, differentiating introduction vs.  context of problem, piloting to support problem, identifying problem, stating questions & hypotheses, collecting data, identifying design, design instruments, differentiating qualitative vs. quantitative, APA referencing. Also, the qualitative analysis of the answers of 4 sample candidates on three questions proved their improvement. Results also showed that their academic self-confidence was affected positively.