Implementing Self-Regulated Learning in Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills Integrated with Self-Confident Level in Islamic-Affiliated Schools

Implementing Self-Regulated Learning in Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 10(1), May 2025 eISSN: 2503-4197, pISSN: 2527-5070 Available online at: www. indonesian-efl-journal.org http://dx.doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v10i1.850 Implementing Self-Regulated Learning in Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills Integrated with Self-Confident Level in Islamic-Affiliated Schools Muhsinin1, Haerazi2, Arif Rahman3 Mandalika University of Education1,2,3 , , Abstract: One of the primary goals of education is to foster students’ autonomy and self-regulation in learning while recognizing their active roles in the learning process. In English language teaching, self-regulated learning (SRL) has been widely implemented as a strategy to achieve these goals. Speaking, as a skill, requires learners to quickly access and apply linguistic knowledge, often leading to challenges such as fluency issues. Furthermore, non-linguistic factors, particularly a lack of confidence, contribute significantly to the difficulties students face in developing speaking skills. This study investigates the effectiveness of SRL in teaching speaking skills, particularly in relation to students' self-confidence levels, in Islamic-affiliated schools. A mixed-methods approach using concurrent embedded design was employed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The data are collected using tests for quantitative data and using interview sheets for qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, while qualitative data were processed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion verification. The findings reveal that SRL strategies are particularly effective for students with higher levels of self-confidence, significantly improving their speaking abilities in the context of Islamic-affiliated schools. The study concludes that SRL can be a valuable approach in enhancing speaking skills, but its success is closely tied to students' confidence levels. These findings suggest that teachers should not only incorporate SRL strategies but also focus on building students’ self-confidence to maximize the effectiveness of speaking instruction in EFL contexts. Keywords: English materials development, Self-regulated learning, speaking skills, self-confidence Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 10(1), May 2025 31 Muhsinin, Haerazi, Rahman 1. INTRODUCTION A significant challenge that many EFL learners encounter in language classes is speaking a foreign language fluently (Afifah & Devana, 2020; Hayati, 2020; Hidayatullah & Haerazi, 2022). Speaking stands out as a distinct skill because speakers need to quickly access all the necessary knowledge to communicate effectively within a short time frame (Hayati, 2020; Jupri et al., 2022). In contrast, other language skills usually allow learners enough time to match the input with the required knowledge. Therefore, learners may face difficulties or even fail to speak fluently during the process of acquiring speaking skills. Lack of confidence is a widespread issue that contributes to the most common problem of students' speaking skills (Anabel & Simanjuntak, 2022; Bensalem & Thompson, 2021). Lack of confidence can have an impact on students with low self-esteem, leading them to remain silent and avoid risking criticism from their classmates (Ariani & Tawali, 2021). Such students tend to interact less in class, and the less confident they are, the fewer opportunities they have to interact with their classmates. Gazibara et al. (2019) argue that a lack of self-confidence can cause fear, making students unable to think clearly, lose concentration, and even the desire to speak. Kumar et al. (2017) has also highlighted the strong effect of self-confidence on the speaking of foreign language learners. In addition, students with low self-confidence often struggle to acquire good speaking skills, despite achieving acceptable linguistic proficiency (Kasbi & Elahi Shirvan, 2017). In contrast, students who are filled with self-confidence can speak easily and effectively (Amirian et al., 2022; Djafri & Wimbarti, 2018). Therefore, English teachers should be mindful of students' feelings, identify their interests, and do their best to increase their self-confidencies. In order for learners to acquire successful speaking, teachers must establish their goals and determine the appropriate way of learning, as well as control the learning process (Haerazi & Kazemian, 2021; Kazemian et al., 2021). To promote independence and responsibility for their learning, teachers need to encourage learners to become more self-regulated (Alvi & Gillies, 2020; Mohammadi et al., 2020), particularly in upper high school. The SRL is an approach in which individuals manage their learning activities, activating and motivating their cognition, affection, and actions in a systematic and planned manner, all aimed at achieving learning goals (Chien, 2019; Follmer & Sperling, 2019). Self-regulated learning is essential in the learning process because it enables students to acquire knowledge independently, manage their study schedules, set learning goals, and locate relevant information from a diverse range of sources (Peel, 2019). Therefore, implementing a self-regulated learning strategy can effectively establish learners' independence and self-confidence. The possession of self-regulated learning skills is a critical factor for effective learning. Such skills enable learners to manage their learning activities, gather knowledge from diverse sources, and engage with learning materials effectively (Ning & Downing, 2015). Self-regulated learning aims to optimize learners' intellectual and emotional engagement in the learning process, which are both fundamental components of learning (Alvi & Gillies, 2020; Bai & Wang, 2020). Zheng et al. (2016) promote three critical elements of SRL contribute to enhancing learners' performance: cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and resource utilization strategies. Cognitive strategies focus on maintaining a cognitive focus on the task at hand, while metacognitive strategies emphasize the use of planning, monitoring, and adjusting cognitive activities (Haerazi & Kazemian, 2021; Tse et al., 2022). Resource utilization strategies center on learners' ability to control their efforts, including overcoming environmental distractions (Peel, 2019). It is evident 32 Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 10(1), May 2025 Implementing Self-Regulated Learning in Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills that SRL skills play a vital role in facilitating learners' academic achievements, including speaking performance. Given the above arguments, it is evident that SRL can enhance students' academic performance. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of integrating SRL in teaching speaking skills, with a particular focus on the role of self-confidence in language acquisition. The primary obje (...truncated)