Roles of context in L2 learners’ self-regulatory actions: The case of videoconference-based EFL writing course.

Abstract

To date, studies of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ motivational regulation have centered on the traditional offline classroom setting with little consideration of the contingency of learning context. The aims of this study were to reveal the dynamics of EFL learners’ self-regulatory responses to and their instructors’ perspectives of videoconference-based writing class. Specifically, this study focused on several factors embedded in the context, including native English-speaking instructors, videoconference platform, and English-medium instruction (EMI). A mixed method was used to analyze the questionnaire responses of 264 students from two science and engineering universities and subsequent interviews with seven students and ten native English-speaking instructors. The analyses revealed that learners’ three proficiency levels affected their engagement with instructor feedback and text processing, the most prevalent motivational regulation strategies. In the two lower proficiency groups, these regulatory actions did not correlate with the EMI factor. The beginner group in particular struggled to regulate motivation, disfavoring the videoconference platform. In the analysis of instructor interviews, the discrepancy in the students’ self-regulatory actions among proficiency levels was rarely acknowledged or addressed by the instructors. The findings are discussed to give insight into EFL writing instruction in the emerging higher education context.