Understanding students’ self-regulated learning and anxiety in online English courses in higher education

Abstract

There is presently little known about students' use of SRL strategies and anxiety levels and the effects on learning outcomes overall and for specific skills in fully synchronous online English classes. Thus, this study explored 171 first-year non-English major students at an autonomous university in Thailand who had completed their first fully online courses for 12 weeks taught by foreign English lecturers. As measures, online self-regulated learning, students' anxiety in English learning, and course outcomes were employed by means of a mixed-method design. The findings revealed students' high use of SRL strategies and their significant contribution to their online learning outcomes. Nevertheless, students' anxiety levels were not a significant predictor of learning outcomes and could not dictate SRL strategies in online classes. These findings occurred among female and male students equally. This study observed an instrumental role of SRL strategies in students’ online accomplishments in their first online learning experience. In conclusion, the current research highlights the crucial role of SRL strategies in online English language learning and provides valuable insights for language educators in designing effective pedagogical interventions. It suggests that SRL is not only important for achieving learning outcomes but also requires continuous monitoring and support from teachers and peers. Additionally, the study indicates that gender differences in SRL may not be significant in the context of synchronous online English classes. These findings have significant implications for the development of effective pedagogical practices for online language learning and underscore the need for further research in this area.