Teachers' Perceptions of the Use of Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Online EFL Reading Instruction to Foster Students’ Autonomy in Online Reading

Abstract

Plenty of reading materials either printed or digital are accessible to facilitate students’ reading literacy skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, only a few research studies examined how strategy instructions can improve students’ online reading literacy skills. This study examines teachers' perceptions on the use of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) in online EFL reading instruction to foster students’ autonomy in online reading. The study employed an explanatory mixed-methods design and the data were collected by using questionnaire and interviews. The study involved 60 Indonesian EFL teachers who responded to the questionnaire and 6 of the teachers who participated in interviews. The findings showed that most of the teachers positively perceived the use of SRSD in online EFL reading instruction to develop students’ autonomy. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that there are three main factors influencing teachers’ perceptions on the use of SRSD in online EFL reading instruction: learning mode factors, individual factors, and instructional support factors. EFL teachers are suggested to keep developing their professional skills to improve the effectiveness of SRSD in online EFL reading instruction to support students’ autonomy. The study addresses implications for online EFL reading instruction and recommendations for future research.