Intentional and developmental learners"™ agency in deep learning processes during EFL writing: An explanatory sequential design
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26418/jeltim.v7i2.97197Keywords:
academic writing, deep learning, EFL writing, learner agency, mixed-methods researchAbstract
This study investigates the extent to which EFL students demonstrate agency in deep learning processes during academic writing tasks, using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Situated in the academic writing course at an Islamic university in West Java, Indonesia, the study involved 35 fourth-semester ELT students. Phase one utilized a self-report questionnaire to measure learners"™ perceived agency in planning, reflecting, making choices, transferring knowledge, and interacting with others. In phase two, semi-structured interviews explored students"™ lived experiences and behaviors across these dimensions. Quantitative results revealed generally high levels of perceived agency, particularly in goal-setting, strategy use, and reflection. Qualitative data enriched this picture, portraying that learners actively engaged with feedback, exercised autonomy in rhetorical decisions, and applied writing strategies across disciplines. The integration of findings highlighted that learner agency in writing is both intentional and developmental manifesting through personal effort, relational dialogue, and contextual adaptation. This study provides new insights by framing agency as both an intentional and developmental construct within deep learning processes"”an area that remains underexplored in EFL writing research. By explicitly linking learner agency with the mechanisms of deep learning, the study advances current understanding and calls for pedagogical approaches that scaffold autonomy, reflection, and knowledge transfer in EFL writing instruction. Keywords: academic writing, deep learning, EFL writing, learner agency, mixed-methods research How to cite this paper: Rohadi, T., Imani, A., Sulaeman, D., Aminuddin, M., Mardhiyah, S., Geng, H., & Khan, M. E. I. (2025). Intentional and developmental learners"™ agency in deep learning processes during EFL writing: An explanatory sequential design. Journal of English Language Teaching Innovations and Materials, 7(2), 1"“20. https://doi.org/10.26418/jeltim.v7i2.97197References
Benson, P. (2013). Teaching and researching: Autonomy in language learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833767
Biesta, G., Priestley, M., & Robinson, S. (2015). The role of beliefs in teacher agency. Teachers and Teaching, 21(6), 624–640. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044325
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2007). Outcomes-based teaching and learning (OBTL). Why Is It, How Do We Make It Work. http://dx.doi.org/10.32890/mjli.8.2011.7624
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1191/1478088706QP063OA
Canagarajah, A. S. (2015). “Blessed in my own way:†Pedagogical affordances for dialogical voice construction in multilingual student writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 27, 122–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.09.001
Chan, C. S. C. (2017). Investigating a research-informed teaching idea: The use of transcripts of authentic workplace talk in the teaching of spoken business English. English for Specific Purposes, 46, 72–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2016.12.002
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2023). Revisiting mixed methods research designs twenty years later. Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Designs, 1(1), 21–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529614572.n6
de Paiva, L. F., Carvalho, J. M. B., Fernandes, A. G. S., da Silva Martins, C. M., & Junior, G. B. (2019). Diagnóstico de glaucoma baseado em Deep Features. Escola Regional de Computação Do Ceará, Maranhão e Piauà (ERCEMAPI), 119–126. http://dx.doi.org/10.34117/bjdv6n6-589
Derakhshan, A., Greenier, V., & Fathi, J. (2023). Exploring the interplay between a loving pedagogy, creativity, and work engagement among EFL/ESL teachers: A multinational study. Current Psychology, 42(26), 22803–22822. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-03371-w
Duff, L. E. (2024). Validity and Cross-Cultural Examination of the Children’s Emotional Adjustment Scale. JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences at National University.
Dweck, C. S. (2017). The journey to children’s mindsets—and beyond. Child Development Perspectives, 11(2), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12225
Fullan, M., & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. https://staging.oer4pacific.org/id/eprint/5
Hikmah, A., & Al Hafizh, M. (2024). Bridging Success through Comparative: Uncovering the Motivation Potential of Improving Students’ Writing, Individually vs Collaboratively. Voices of English Language Education Society, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v8i2.26196
Houen, S., Danby, S., Farrell, A., & Thorpe, K. (2016). Creating spaces for children’s agency:‘I wonder…’formulations in teacher–child interactions. International Journal of Early Childhood, 48(3), 259–276. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-016-0170-4
Hyland, K. (2016). Methods and methodologies in second language writing research. System, 59, 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.05.002
Kirkpatrick, A., & Liddicoat, A. J. (2017). Language education policy and practice in East and Southeast Asia. Language Teaching, 50(2), 155–188. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000027
Kohonen, T. (2012). Self-organization and associative memory (Vol. 8). Springer Science & Business Media. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-88163-3
Lantolf, J. P. (2020). World language education and the pedagogical imperative. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.963
Littleton, K., & Mercer, N. (2013). Educational dialogues. International Handbook of Research on Children’s Literacy, Learning, and Culture, 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118323342.ch21
Mercer, S., & Dörnyei, Z. (2020). Engaging language learners in contemporary classrooms. Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781009024563
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Saint, M. (2021). Development of a curriculum based on content and language integrated learning and competency-based education for enhancing business English writing ability of undergraduate students. Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD). 4665. https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/chulaetd/4665/
Suryani, I., Yaacob, A., Mohd Asraf, R., Supian, N., MdHussin, H., & Alsaraireh, M. Y. (2024). Techniques from Language Practices of Highly Cited Authors for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Research Writing. http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol15no3.12
Van de Pol, J., Mercer, N., & Volman, M. (2019). Scaffolding student understanding in small-group work: Students’ uptake of teacher support in subsequent small-group interaction. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 28(2), 206–239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2018.1522258
Widodo, H. P. (2016). Language policy in practice: Reframing the English language curriculum in the Indonesian secondary education sector. In English language education policy in Asia (pp. 127–151). Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_6
Zhao, W., Jiang, W., & Qiu, X. (2021). Deep learning for COVID-19 detection based on CT images. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 14353. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-93832-2
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to publish the work, which is simultaneously made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
