Profiling English learners: Motivation, self-regulated learning strategies, and achievement in Korean high schools

This study aimed to classify Korean high school students according to their English learning motivation and self-regulated learning strategies, and to examine how these factors are related to English achievement levels. Data from 1,369 students attending general high schools were drawn from the seventh wave of the Korean Education Longitudinal Study (KELS 2013). Group differences in achievement were analyzed using t-tests, and learner profiles were identified via k-means cluster analysis. The results showed that high-achieving students demonstrated significantly higher intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, and learning behaviors, while low-achieving students displayed higher levels of amotivation. K-means cluster analysis identified three learner profiles: 1) self-directed, 2) externally motivated, and 3) demotivated and low self-regulated learners, each exhibiting distinct differences in learning behaviors and achievement. This study emphasizes the importance of recognizing English learning motivation and self-regulated learning strategies as interrelated rather than separate constructs, and proposes practical, tailored intervention strategies for students with strong external motivation or amotivation.