Social cognitive theory-assisted learning of Arabic: A study of self-regulated learning strategies, social media usage, and motivation

Abstract

Social cognitive theory (SCT) has widely been used in second or foreign language learning. Multiple studies have also verified its importance in language learning. This present study examines the role that SCT plays in assisting the learning of Arabic by analysing the relationships among self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS), social media usage (SMU), and motivations of Arabic learners. A total of 317 university-grade Arabic learners participated in the present study. The self-regulated online learning questionnaire (SOL-Q), a social media usage questionnaire, and the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) were used to understand the current issues that Arabic learners face. A quantitative analysis of the data revealed that most of the Arabic learners had medium levels of SRLS and SMU and high levels of motivation. Furthermore, SRLS and motivation significantly affected the Grade Point Average (GPA)-based academic achievements of these Arabic learners. The findings of this study verify that SRLS, SMU, and motivation have a triadic reciprocal correlation with SCT in the context of learning the Arabic language.

Editorial Review on Volume 8, Issue 1

“…Among them, Huertas-Abril and Palacios-Hidalgo [7] used structured interviews to understand the attitudes of 89 in-service teachers around the world towards the introduction of LGBTIQ+ in education. Di et al [8] studied the application of social cognitive theory in language learning, and the research subjects were some Arabic learners. Kremen et al [9] used surveys and interviews to study the impact of distance learning methods on the educational process of foreign students integrating into Russian universities.…”