Enhancing EFL At-risk Students’ Meta-motivational Self-regulation: Immediate and Delayed Impact on Their Strategy Use and Academic Achievement

Abstract

Self-regulated language learning-- referring to language learners’ awareness and self-management of their own learning behaviors -- has been the target of research on language education lately. Yet, most language research endeavors and instructional interventions heretofore have focused on cognitive and metacognitive self-regulation with very scanty empirical focus on (meta-) motivational self-regulation. The issue gains particular impetus with at-risk EFL students whose lack of motivation is often misinterpreted as lack of ability. The current study investigated the immediate and delayed impact of enhancing EFL at-risk students’ meta-motivational self-regulation on their language strategy use and academic achievement. Sixty seven at-risk EFL students in Abu Dhabi University, the United Arab Emirates, took part in this study. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group condition. Their language strategy use was assessed via an inventory developed and validated by the researcher, whereas their cumulative grade point averages (CGPAs) were used for tapping their academic achievement. Results of the study indicated that the experimental group students who received the suggested instructional intervention outperformed their control peers in both language strategy use and academic achievement. Details of the instructional intervention, assessment instruments, and the results of the study are discussed along with recommendations for language instruction and suggestions for further research.