Undergraduate Students’ Self-regulation in Responding Feedback in Writing Classes

Abstract

This study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ self-regulation in responding to feedback for writing classes in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study used a descriptive qualitative approach. The participants are two final-year EFL university students from a private university in Yogyakarta. They were selected based on the criterion that they had completed all writing courses in their undergraduate degree. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews recorded in Bahasa Indonesia based on Zimmerman & Risemberg’s theory (1997) of self-regulated learning. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The result showed that participants actively applied self-regulation strategies such as goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, and reflection during the drafting and revising process. Prior writing experiences and emotional responses, also influenced how they understood and used feedback. Participants with higher self-regulation skills showed greater autonomy and improvement in their writing performance. Furthermore, participants viewed feedback not only as a form of evaluation but also as a source of learning, especially when the feedback was constructive and aligned with their writing goals. These findings have important implications for writing pedagogy in EFL contexts, emphasizing the need for structured guidance that supports students’ development of self-regulation.