Empowering Indonesian students’ regulation of feelings and attitudes in EFL learning through action-oriented reflections

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article focuses on Indonesian students’ regulation of feelings and attitudes in EFL learning. It considers one research question i.e. to what extent can Indonesian students regulate their feelings and attitudes in EFL learning? To answer the question, classroom action research was adopted. The participants of the research were 24 first semester students of a Primary School Teacher Education Study Program at a university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The study lasted for six monthswhere students submitted five reflections and completed a pre- and post-participation questionnaire. Results from data analyses indicated that the students had negative feelings and attitudes towards English before participating in the action research but showed more positive feelings and attitudes as a result of their participation. They also demonstrated increased ability to regulate their feelings and attitudes towards learning English, independently of the teacher’s supervision. This was attributable to: (1) the teachers’ and students’ mutual awareness of the importance of identifying and regulating students’ feelings and attitudes in EFL learning; and (2) the students’ focus on self-regulated learning strategies rather than academic achievements. This study offers pedagogical implications for EFL/ESL teachers and suggestions for future researchers.