Students' Differences in Self-Regulated Learning

This paper reports the results of a study that investigated students" differences in self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies among students of three different EFL achievement levels and between males and females. The subjects for this study were 16,526 first-year high school students who took the 2005 English Achievement Test (EAT) nationwide. Research results revealed significant differences by achievement level in the use of overall SRL strategies and of the three subcategories: behavioral control, cognitive strategy, and self-efficacy. More specifically, the high-achieving students reported greater use of SRL strategies than the mid-achieving students, who in turn reported greater use than the low-achieving students. In addition, girls surpassed boys in the use of overall SRL strategies and of the two subcategories: cognitive strategy and self-efficacy. This study suggests that girls as well as high-achieving students use the full spectrum of SRL strategies rather than one particular type.