An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Students’ Online Self-regulated Learning And English Learning Anxiety

In educational psychology and second language acquisition research,both self-regulated learning and foreign language anxiety are considered as the key factors which can influence learners’ academic achievement and learning effectiveness.Hence,a number of studies have been conducted on the two subjects respectively both abroad and at home,especially in the context of English as a Foreign Language(EFL).With the trend of technology-based learning environment,there have been a tremendous increase number of studies focusing on the two subjects in online learning environment.However,few studies have sought to examine the relationship between self-regulated learning and English learning anxiety in an online learning environment.Therefore,the present study collects data from students in a junior high school located in central China where students have been exposed to total online learning for a whole semester due to the coronavirus lockdown.The aim of the research is to explore students’ current situations of their online self-regulated learning and foreign language anxiety in online English course.Additionally,the investigation of the relationship between the two variables is also conducted,in hope of putting forward certain practical suggestions to take advantage of online self-regulatory strategies so as to decrease students’ English learning anxiety and improve their English learning effectiveness.Therefore,this study mainly uses quantitative method to achieve research purpose.The Online Self-regulated English Learning(OSEL)and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety(FLCA)questionnaires were administrated to 157 junior high students in the eighth grade in order to collect quantitative data.In addition,after data analysis,10 participants from those students were purposely selected to conduct interview so that researcher could get a comprehensive picture from students’perspective through the qualitative data.In summary,this research was aimed at addressing the following three questions:1 What are the current situations of junior high students’ online self-regulated learning and English learning anxiety?Is there any difference between genders?2 What is the relationship between students’ online self-regulated learning and English learning anxiety?3 What predictive roles does junior high students’ online self-regulated learning have in their English leaning anxiety?The results of descriptive data analysis showed that junior high students reported a higher ability in online self-regulated English learning and a moderate level of English learning anxiety.Besides,independent sample t test was conducted and it was found that the gender difference only existed in OSEL,with the finding that female students had higher ability than male students in online self-regulated learning.As for the relationship between the two variables,results of Pearson correlation analysis proved that there was a moderate negative correlation between them.Furthermore,findings from stepwise regression analysis revealed that among five sub-dimensions of OSEL,only the factor"Task Strategies and Time Management" was reported to play a predictive role in students’ English learning anxiety.Since self-regulated learning and foreign language anxiety are crucial to junior high students’ online English learning,the current study provides English teachers and online course developers with insights about how to improve students online self-regulated learning ability so as to reduce their foreign language anxiety in English class.