An investigation of the relationship between students' self-discipline and their language performance in an online learning context at a Vietnamese university

Abstract

Having recognized the difference in the implementation of English lessons in physical classrooms and distant classrooms, which possibly influence learners' performance, the authors are interested in examining the impacts of students' self-discipline on language performance in an online learning situation. In this study, the authors employed two main research instruments, including (1) a widely used survey questionnaire aiming at investigating participants' level of self-discipline and (2) a database from English Occupational Purposes, a web-based English learning system to assess learners' language performance. Research results have shown a direct correlation between subjects' level of self-discipline and their English language performance, in which a low level of self-discipline is a partial contributor to poor learning performance and vice versa. Also, the findings of the research showed an inconsiderable difference in the learning outcomes of the high group and the medium group in several aspects.