Pre‐Service English Teachers’ Reported Roles and Practices in Promoting Self‐Regulated Learning During the K‐12 Practicum

Abstract

This study examines pre‐service English teachers' reported roles and practices in promoting self‐regulated learning (SRL) in K–12 classroom contexts during their practicum, as well as the challenges they encounter. Adopting a multidimensional view of SRL encompassing cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and behavioural strategies, the study involved three pre‐service English teachers undertaking their practicum in K–12 settings with prior teaching experience in either state or private schools. Data were collected through reflective journals, semi‐structured interviews, and focus group discussions and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that the participants demonstrated strong awareness of SRL and reported enacting a range of practices, including goal setting, motivational support, and time management, in their teaching. Participants perceived students as using some SRL strategies, although students' engagement was described as uneven and inconsistent. Participants also reported attempts to scaffold students' strategy use through practices such as goal setting and elaboration, while identifying challenges related to limited professional preparation and difficulties in pedagogically integrating emerging technologies. The study contributes to research on SRL in teacher education by highlighting pre‐service teachers' reported roles and practices in fostering SRL and underscoring the need for targeted professional development in pre‐service and early‐career teacher education programmes to support teachers in fostering SRL in K–12 classrooms.