Beyond tool use: A mixed-method examination of how learners’ attitudes toward mobile assisted language learning shape self-regulatory practices

Abstract

Mobile technologies in language education warrant further investigation into how students perceive the online tools and how their perceptions may affect self-regulated language learning (SRLL) practices. This is essential for creating a learning environment in which mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) technologies are applied effectively and promote critical and reflective learning. Theoretically, this study is framed within the ABC model of attitudes and Zimmerman’s cyclical model of self-regulation and aims to investigate how university students’ attitudes toward MALL shape their SRLL in a blended learning context. Adopting an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 191 freshmen, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of 18 students. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics, alongside reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that freshmen held moderate yet ambivalent attitudes toward MALL, with strong interconnections among the affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of attitudes. Qualitative analysis showed that moderate attitudes supported meaningful SRLL across all phases of self-regulation, suggesting that attitudes toward MALL operate as an integrated system shaping the entire SRLL process. Based on these findings, we call for the cultivation of self-regulation processes and consideration of attitudes in technology-enhanced learning contexts.