The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 23, No. 0, pp.625-641
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 30 Jan 2023
Received 13 May 2023 Revised 07 Jun 2023 Accepted 05 Aug 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.23..202308.625

Roles of Context in L2 Learners’ Self-Regulatory Actions: The Case of Videoconference-Based EFL Writing Course

Jeongyeon Kim ; Soo-Ok Kweon
(first author) Professor, School of Liberal Arts, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Tel: 052) 217-2013 jkim@unist.ac.kr
(corresponding author) Professor, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Tel: 054) 279-2038 soook@postech.ac.kr


© 2023 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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.

Keywords:

Self-regulated learning, Motivational regulation, Videoconference, EFL writing, English-medium instruction, Learner autonomy

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