Teaching Approaches and EFL Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Capacity

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between teaching approaches and EFL students’ self-regulated learning capacity in a Chinese university setting. The research explored the characteristics of teaching approaches, including student-centered independent inquiry learning, teacher-centered direct teaching, student-centered cooperative learning, and teacher-centered questioning, and assessed EFL students’ self-regulated learning capacity in terms of commitment control, metacognitive control, satiation control, emotion control, and environmental control. The study found that while EFL students generally appreciated their teachers’ use of questioning, direct teaching, and cooperative learning methods, they perceived a lack of opportunities for student-centered independent inquiry learning. Furthermore, students exhibited strong self-regulatory skills in managing satiation, commitment, emotions, and the learning environment, but demonstrated weaker metacognitive control abilities. The research revealed a significant positive correlation between student-focused independent inquiry and cooperative learning approaches and students’ self-regulated learning capacity. This suggests that student-centered teaching methods, particularly those emphasizing independent exploration and collaborative learning, effectively enhance EFL students’ self-regulated abilities. The study concludes with recommendations for policymakers, teachers, and students to promote effective self-regulated learning in EFL contexts. These include providing more opportunities for independent inquiry learning, fostering a supportive classroom environment, and developing students’ metacognitive skills. The findings highlight the importance of a holistic approach to self-regulated learning that addresses both cognitive and affective dimensions.