Elsevier

System

Volume 57, April 2016, Pages 66-78
System

The relationship between Chinese university students' conceptions of language learning and their online self-regulation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.01.005Get rights and content

Abstract

In the field of second language acquisition, an increasing amount of research has been conducted on learner beliefs and self-regulation. Less attention, however, has been focused on the relationship between the two constructs in online learning environments. This study reports on a quantitative inquiry about the relationship between Chinese learners' conceptions of language learning and their online self-regulation. Data were collected through two questionnaires, Conceptions of Learning English (COLE) and Online Self-regulated English Learning (OSEL), among 401 university students in China. The findings provide empirical evidence linking learners' COLE with their OSEL. In particular, the two factors in the COLE, such as language learning as “Understanding and seeing in a new way” and “Memorizing,” play powerful and positive roles in predicting learners' online self-regulation. More interestingly, the study reveals that emphases on achieving success in examinations may relate to learners' unsophisticated conceptions of language learning, which negatively associate with their online self-regulation. These findings suggest that language instructors reinterpret learners' preference for memorization in the learning process and adopt pedagogical methods to foster sophisticated conceptions of learning among learners. Second, we recommend that policy-makers be aware of the negative influence of “Testing” and diversify assessment methods in language education.

Introduction

In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), language learner beliefs are considered an important learner variable affecting language learners' perceptions, behaviors and even learning outcomes (Barcelos, 2003, Barcelos and Kalaja, 2011, Mercer, 2011a). Conceptions of language and language learning are regarded as “higher level category conditioning specific beliefs” and reflect learners' thinking about their language learning (Benson & Lor, 1999, p. 459). Recent research has approached language learners' beliefs or conceptions of learning in two ways. First of all, beliefs are increasingly recognized as a dynamic, complex, and socially-situated variable (e.g., Amuzie and Winke, 2009, Barcelos and Kalaja, 2011, Gao, 2010, Li and Ruan, 2015, Zhong, 2014, Zhong, 2015). Second, substantial research has focused on the mediating role of beliefs on other variables, such as language learning strategies, or learner autonomy (e.g., Abedini et al., 2011, Amuzie and Winke, 2009, Mercer, 2011b, Yang, 1999, Zhong, 2014, Zhong, 2015). Mercer (2011a) pointed out that it is necessary to investigate learners' conceptions of language as a construct and to further explore its association with learners' foreign language learning experiences. Although much research has provided evidence for the inter-relational nature of conceptions of learning, approaches to learning and learning outcomes (Bliuc et al., 2011, Boulton-Lewis et al., 2004, Li et al., 2013), studies on the interplay between learners' conceptions of language learning and their learning behaviors are not well established.

With integration of information and communications technology (ICT) into language education, researchers claim that online or blended learning has the potential to change the nature of education and to further enhance the effectiveness of language learning (e.g., Thang and Bidmeshki, 2010, Thang et al., 2012). In an online or blended environment, learners' self-regulation plays a particularly important role for their effective learning (e.g., Lee & Tsai, 2011; Strømsø & Bråten, 2010). Many factors may influence learners' self-regulation and earlier studies have shown that learner beliefs are closely associated with the employment of self-regulated learning strategies (e.g., Bown, 2006, Elbaum et al., 1993, Purdie et al., 1996, Zhao and Zheng, 2014). Although researchers have probed into learners' self-regulation in online learning settings (e.g., Barnard et al., 2009, Barnard-Brak et al., 2010, Usta, 2011), few studies have related learner beliefs to their online self-regulation in the field of SLA. Hence, this study, situated in mainland China, attempts to explore the relationship between learners' conceptions of language learning and their online self-regulation.

Section snippets

Conceptions of language learning

Conceptions of learning refer to a coherent system of knowledge and beliefs about learning and related phenomena (Vermunt & Vermetten, 2004). Much attention has been paid to the research about learners' conceptions of learning in the past several decades (e.g., Tsai et al., 2011, Säljö, 1979, Tsai, 2004, Vermunt and van Rijswijk, 1988, Vermunt and Vermetten, 2004) and research has shown that conceptions of learning exerted a profound influence on students' learning process (e.g., Entwistle &

Research context

The study was conducted in a compulsory and credit-bearing English language course at a comprehensive university in northern China. The university was one of the four pioneering universities to offer web-based and computer-assisted language education at the beginning of the 21st century (Gu, 2008). Therefore, it has a solid foundation for integrating ICT with English language education. The English language course runs for four semesters in two years and its main objective is to develop

Exploratory factor analyses of the COLE and OSEL questionnaires

Both the COLE and OSEL questionnaires were adapted from two questionnaires which were not originally designed to measure college students' conceptions of language learning or their online self-regulated English language learning. Therefore, a re-examination of the factor structure and reliability of the factors for these two surveys was conducted.

Table 3 shows the results of the exploratory factor analysis for the COLE instrument. The principal component analysis was utilized as the extraction

Discussion

The current study investigated Chinese learners' conceptions of learning English and their self-regulation in online learning environments. The findings through exploratory factor analyses indicated that learners' conceptions of English language learning include seven factors while their online self-regulation consists of five factors. The two instruments displayed similar factor structures as revealed by previous work (e.g., Tsai, 2004, Barnard et al., 2009), and both of them had satisfactory

Conclusion

This inquiry explores the interplay between learners' conceptions of learning English and their online self-regulation and reveals the significant correlation between the two constructs. The findings suggest the need to reinterpret learners' perceptions of memorization, which may be a prerequisite for the deeper understanding and better language acquisition. If learners view learning English as “Memorizing” and “Understanding and seeing in a new way,” they may be more invested in online

Acknowledgments

We would like to show our gratitude to all the reviewers and editors who have provided insightful comments and suggestions. We also want to acknowledge the valuable comments of Professor Zhihong Lu, Professor Tsuiping Chen, Professor Maria Luz C. Vilches and Professor Otmar. K. Foelsche. The research is funded by the Beijing Higher Education Young Elite Teacher Project (Grant YETP0463, awarded to Chunping Zheng).

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