Secondary school Turkish EFL teachers' beliefs in self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) which has long been valued as an effective approach in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) is a broad term comprising both cognitive and affective components and concerning the notion of the learner-centred way of teaching. It entails students taking an active role in their own learning by managing their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours during the learning process (Zimmerman, 1990). Self-regulated learners taking responsibility for their learning process are better equipped to continue learning beyond the formal education system. They develop the skills and strategies needed to learn independently, which is essential for success in today's rapidly changing world. Therefore, investment in SRL is needed to prepare students to become lifelong learners who can adapt to the 21st century by tackling the challenges of real life and the workplace. As teachers are one of the most important stakeholders guiding students in the learning process, they need to be aware of their leading role in promoting and nurturing SRL in their classrooms. In this respect, it is crucial to understand the beliefs of EFL teachers. In the Turkish context, studies on SRL in the field of EFL are relatively scarce. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate Turkish EFL teachers' beliefs in self-regulated learning and to determine whether gender, age, teaching experience and undergraduate area of study influence their beliefs in SRL. Further, this study aims to examine Turkish EFL teachers' thoughts on SRL. In line with the aim of the study, the research questions are the following: 1) What are the beliefs of Turkish EFL teachers in SRL in EFL teaching? a) Is there any significant difference among beliefs of EFL teachers in SRL in terms of gender, age, teaching experience, and undergraduate area of study? 2) What are the thoughts of Turkish EFL teachers on SRL in EFL teaching? The study was designed as mixed-method research consisting of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. In the exploratory sequential design, firstly the quantitative data and then the qualitative data were collected and analysed. Accordingly, quantitative data were obtained through the questionnaire to answer the first research question, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews to answer the second research question. The participants of the quantitative part of the study consisted of 170 EFL teachers working at secondary schools in Elazığ. For the qualitative part of the study, 15 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews voluntarily. SPSS 21 was used to analyse the quantitative data and qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The findings of the study provided remarkable information about Turkish English teachers' beliefs and thoughts on SRL. The quantitative results of the study revealed that EFL teachers found SRL valuable and necessary for academic success and acknowledged the facilitating role of the learning environment in the enhancement of SRL. EFL teachers also appreciated the positive impact of collaboration on students' SRL skills. One of the most important findings of this study is that although Turkish English teachers have positive beliefs about SRL, they doubt its applicability in secondary schools due to students' capacity. Examining the findings of the current study with regard to the participant's demographic variables, it was revealed that while teachers' age, teaching experience, and undergraduate educational field were not statistically significant predictors of their beliefs in SRL, there was a difference with regard to gender variable, favouring female participants who have higher SRL perception. The qualitative results of the study reflected the thoughts of EFL teachers on SRL. In line with the quantitative part of the study, it was found that EFL teachers have some misconceptions and lack of knowledge about SRL. In addition, it was detected that there was inconsistency between their beliefs and practices. Finally, both facilitating and constraining factors affecting teachers' belief about SRL were analysed in terms of context-level, teacher-level, student-level and parent-level. This study explored Turkish EFL teachers' beliefs and thoughts on SRL and it will contribute to the field with its valuable results. Keywords: Self-Regulated Learning, EFL, Teacher Belief, Teacher Thought