Validating a scale to measure self-regulated learning strategies for independent listening beyond the EFL classroom

Abstract

The present study aimed to validate a self-report questionnaire created and used in Yabukoshi (2023) to assess learners’ perceived use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies for practicing listening skills to improve the TOEIC® listening scores outside the classroom in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The instrument comprised 14 items on metacognitive SRL strategies used for out-of-class listening practice, which were divided into three subscales: strategies used in the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases, drawing on Zimmerman's SRL model. The questionnaire was administered to 135 EFL undergraduates in Japan and subjected to a psychometric evaluation to determine its structural aspect of validity through reliability tests and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as well as to assess its convergent and discriminant validity and its external aspect of validity (i.e., predictive validity). The instrument had sufficient internal consistency based on reliability tests (Cronbach's alpha). The CFA results indicated a relatively good and reasonable model fit, and the convergent validity was found to be adequate. The discriminant validity was not satisfactory, which was discussed based on SRL theory and previous empirical evidence. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the three strategy factors as a whole were a strong predictor of learners’ listening proficiency. The empirical evidence provides preliminary support for the application of SRL theory to the field of EFL listening. The results of this study contribute to the limited research on the assessment of SRL strategy use for listening practice outside EFL classrooms.