Whose goal emphases play a more important role in ESL/EFL learners’ motivation, self-regulated learning and achievement?: Teachers’ or parents’

This study examined the relations between achievement goals, self-regulated learning (SRL), and English learning achievement as well as the contributions of perceived teachers’ and parents’ goal emphases to students’ achievement goal adoption. Participants were 520 4th graders in Hong Kong, who learn English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL). Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) revealed that high achievers reported a higher level of mastery goals and SRL strategy use than average achievers, who in turn outperformed low achievers. Mastery goals positively predicted SRL strategy use, whereas performance-avoidance goals negatively predicted SRL strategy use. SRL strategy use, in turn, was a significant predictor of English learning achievement. Perceived teachers’ and parents’ mastery goal emphases positively predicted students’ mastery goals; parents’ performance goal emphases positively predicted students’ performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Parents’ mastery goal emphases negatively predicted students’ performance-avoidance goals. Important implications are drawn.