Developing self-coaching skills in university EFL classrooms to encourage out-of-class study time

Abstract

ABSTRACTUniversities in the EFL context aim to foster graduates who can use English in the workplace. Regardless, university students’ insufficient amount of out-of-class study time is a major issue. This problem may stem from learners’ lack of learning skills, low levels of learning motivation, and high levels of academic procrastination. Self-coaching skills have the potential to tackle this problem. In this study, we introduce how self-coaching skills training can be applied in the EFL classroom while drawing on relevant literature in ELT. Respecting the diverse characteristics of learners, we grouped participants into different trajectories based on levels of intrinsic motivation, self-regulated learning skills, and academic procrastination tendencies at four different data collection points throughout a required 15-week EFL course. Quantitative data revealed five trajectories in which we examined how self-coaching skills training through self-questioning influenced out-of-class study time in two representative trajectories. Quantitative data also pointed out positive associations between increases in self-coaching skills and out-of-class study time for both trajectories. Our qualitative data analysis results suggested a necessity of providing students with opportunities for gaining deeper understandings of the psychological aspects of language learning to better learning experiences and learning outcomes for the different types of learners.