E-LEARNING ECOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON FIRST-YEAR VIETNAMESE EFL STUDENTS’ SELF-REGULATED LEARNING AND MOTIVATION IN A TRANSITION TO ONLINE PLATFORMS

Abstract

The transition from high school to university academic life is challenging for many first-year students as they have to adapt to new learning styles and a self-regulated environment that is different from what they were familiar with during school. Learning becomes complicated when the traditional class setting switches to e-learning, requiring tremendous effort. Students have to adjust their learning habits, learn to collaborate and maintain interaction with others. This study investigates first-year EFL students' experience during the transition from face-to-face to e-learning, targeting the influence of factors such as interaction with lecturers and peers, assessment, and peer support on students' motivation and self-regulated learning. Three hundred fifty-two students participated in the survey, and 36 joined the interview. The lecturer interaction and peer support were crucial to motivate students; peer interaction helped navigate self-regulated learning, and assessment regulated students' learning approach. Challenges of e-learning were notified, and recommendations were proposed to enhance learning quality.