Postgraduate TEFL students’ experiences of structured goal setting in collaborative learning

Abstract This qualitative study examined the experiences of postgraduate students enrolled in a master’s-level Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course in Saudi Arabia. It specifically explored how these students engaged with a structured goal-setting framework embedded in the course. Data were generated through two rounds of semi-structured interviews, weekly reflective journals, and two focus-group discussions over one semester ( N = 14). Using the thematic analysis procedures outlined by Braun and Clarke [1], the analysis developed five themes: (1) engagement and understanding through improved sense-making, (2) motivation and self-regulation through planning and monitoring, (3) perceived learning-related experiences and personal development, (4) challenges in calibrating and coping strategies, and (5) skills development (e.g., time management, reflection, and confidence). Participants described goal setting as helping them clarify priorities, break complex tasks into manageable steps, and sustain effort through progress tracking; they also noted occasional pressure when goals were overly ambitious or treated as fixed targets. The study provides a qualitative account of how participants described structured goal-setting as supporting their self-regulated learning processes in postgraduate TEFL education and offers practical design considerations for educators seeking to scaffold students’ goal quality, expectancy of success, and adaptive goal revision.