As a core concept in educational psychology, self-regulated learning (SRL) describes how learners systematically activate and sustain cognition, motivation, behavior, and affect towards the attainment of their goals in learning processes (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011). There is mounting evidence that incorporating SRL processes as both a method and an outcome into domain-specific instruction in formal educational environments to cultivate active learners with better academic outcomes (e.g., Ardasheva et al., 2017; Rose et al., 2018; Schunk & Greene, 2018). Given the dynamic, situated, and recursive features of SRL, scholars have pointed out the urgency to investigate the state and event characteristics of SRL from multiple perspectives and measures (Teng & Zhang, 2022). In recent years, there have been signs of a burgeoning interest in infusing SRL principles into second/foreign language (L2) with a focus on learning strategies.
This study adopted multiple assessment approaches to examine the diachronic development trajectories of L2 learners' strategic regulation behavior and its interactions with affective and social conditions in the course of self-regulation strategy instruction. A longitudinal case study was conducted with four participants who have received SRL strategy writing instruction spanning 16 weeks. They were invited to complete a comprehensive array of measures to elicit the aptitude-related SRL (self-report questionnaires) and the event-related SRL (reflective journals, micro-analysis, and stimulated recall). Findings together revealed that those EFL students demonstrated adaptive characteristics of strategic behavior across the forethought, performance, and reflection stages of self-regulatory processes. In addition, teachers' scaffolded, individualized mediation and peers' interactions play pivotal roles in promoting learners' strategic development from co-regulated learners to self-regulated learners. It is also evident that students' strategic learning and affective changes were mediated by artifacts and social relationships during the instruction. Robust multiple measures in a longitudinal period reveal the complex, interactive development of students' strategic learning behavior with the enactment of regulatory and learning strategies. The validity of using multiple approaches to assess student strategic behavior reflects the dynamic, contextual-specific nature of SRL.
References
Ardasheva, Y., Wang, Z., Adesope, O. O., & Valentine, J. C. (2017). Exploring effectiveness and moderators of language learning strategy instruction on second language and self-regulated learning outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 87(3), 544–582.https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316689135.
Rose, H., Briggs, J. G., Boggs, J. A., Sergio, L, & Ivanova-Slavianskaia, N. (2018). A systematic review of language learner strategy research in the face of self-regulation. System,72, 151–163.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.12.002.
Schunk, D. H., & Greene, J. A. (2018). Historical, contemporary, and future perspectives on self-regulated learning and performance (2nd ed.). In D. H. Schunk, & J. A. Greene. Handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance. New York, NY: Routledge.
Teng, L. S. & Zhang, J. L. (2022). Can self-regulation be transferred to second/foreign language learning and teaching? Current status, controversies, and future directions.Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amab032.
Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (2011). Self-regulated learning and performance: An introduction and an overview. In B. J. Zimmerman, & D. H. Schunk (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance (pp. 1–12). New York, NY: Routledge.
