A study of online self-regulation on English proficiency among Chinese EFL undergraduate students

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) explore the online self-regulation used by Chinese EFL students, and 2) investigate the correlation between students’ online self-regulation and their English proficiency. Participants included 101 Chinese undergraduate students enrolled in an English test prep online course at a university in southwestern China. The research instruments consisted of the Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ) and National College English Test Band 4 (CET-4). The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results revealed that 1) the participants had a moderate level of using online self-regulatory skills with the highest level for 'Environment Structuring' whilst the lowest level for 'Self-evaluation' and 2) there was a significant positive relationship between online self-regulation and English proficiency with the highest on 'Time Management' and 'Environment Structuring' respectively. EFL students’ online self-regulation and pedagogical implications were presented and discussed.