EFL Learners? Use of Self?Regulated Learning Strategies and Impediments they Face When Learning Writing Skills: A Self-Hand Feeding Approach

The purposes of this study were to identify the self regulated learning strategies students use when learning writing skills, to find out the hindering factors students face to practice self- regulated learning strategies and to explore the strategies used by writing skills instructors to encourage their students use of self regulated learning strategy. The students self regulated learning strategies questionnaire and writing skills instructors semi-structured interviews were the instruments to collect the data. The questionnaire that was adapted from Barnard, Lan, To, paton,& Lai, (2009) was designed based on the review of the related literature and it consisted of 27 closed-ended items arranged thematically as time management, self evaluation, attention control, self motivation and help seeking and 2 open-ended items (concerning the challenges that students face when learning writing skills courses and about what specific strategies they need from their writing skills instructors to help them effective self regulative learner). The participants of the study were selected using available and purposive sampling technique. The data collected from the participants using self regulated learning strategies questionnaire were analyzed via percentage, and the result showed that students are good at using time management (but deficient in using their non-lecture time& their arranged plan), self motivation (though they showed resistance not to work on more writing practice tasks), social support, and attention control strategies (in some extent) but in meta-cognitive/self evaluation strategies, they were not found good. The result also showed that lack of awareness among students on what strategy to choose and how to use it, lack of interest among students to work cooperatively with mates, lack of more concentrated practice on writing tasks, learners resistance to more writing tasks given by their teachers, teacher dominated corrective feedback provision to every activity, and lack of sufficient time to teach what strategy students need to use are some of hindering factors. The courses instructors were also found using explicit corrective feedback, and explicitly explaining strategies called direct instruction, and student centered instructions like group work. Finally, this study had suggested writing skills instructors and EFL students that they should use more strategies like guided and independent practice, should minimize an explicit corrective feedback that means use progress feedback, and use reflective practices. In addition, further research into the EFL students use of self regulated learning strategies against different variables is also recommended.