The mediating role of emotion regulation in the link between personality traits and self-regulated learning among low-achieving EFL learners

This study investigates the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationships between three personality traits (conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism) and self-regulated learning (SRL) among low-achieving EFL learners. A survey involving 424 learners was conducted in Chinese IELTS learning contexts, and PLS-SEM was used to assess both direct and indirect effects. The results revealed that emotion regulation positively mediated the relationship between conscientiousness and SRL, as well as extraversion and SRL, indicating that learners with higher levels of these traits tended to better regulate their emotions, thereby enhancing their SRL. However, while both neuroticism and emotion regulation independently affected SRL, no mediating effect was found for emotion regulation between neuroticism and SRL. These findings highlight the significance of personality traits in shaping SRL among low-achieving students in EFL settings. The study further highlights the need for differentiated instructional strategies aimed at strengthening emotion regulation and fostering effective SRL behaviours among this learner population.