Examining the Differences of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies (SRL) - Cognitive and Metacognitive - For University ESL/FSL Courses in Canada, Chile, Turkey and Iran

ABSTRACT

Analyzing the process of how students self-regulate their learning has always been an educational research interest due to changing demographics of Digital Native learners (Prensky, 2001). This research focuses on lesson planning adapted to the Self-Regulated Learning Strategies university students develop when learning English or French and the specific factors that play a major role in defining their Self-Regulation Learning Strategies and specifically the Metacognitive and Cognitive ones. Pintrich’s (2000b) Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) standardized set of learning scales was used, and specifically the Cognitive and Metacognitive scales (CMS), each of which had a set of sub-scales of Rehearsal (ENS), Elaboration (ELB), Organization (ORG), Critical Thinking (PEC), and Metacognitive Self-Regulation (ARM). Data were collected from a sample of 491 students from universities in Turkey, Chile, Iran, and Canada. The research results indicated above mean average (M=3.4) use of each of the Self-Regulated Learning strategies by the students in the four institutions and slightly higher mean (M=3.5) for the Critical Thinking strategy. The results also indicated differences in the SRL strategies among the four institutions.