Abstract
This study tests the directional relation between self-regulated learning (SRL), grit, and English proficiency among Taiwanese university students. A total of 452 students from three institutions completed measures of SRL strategies, grit, classroom engagement, teacher motivation, and self-perceived English proficiency. Using structural equation modeling, two competing models: Model A (grit → SRL → English) and Model B (SRL → grit → English), each including a direct path to English proficiency. Model comparison using global fit and information-theoretic criteria favored Model B. In the preferred model, SRL was positively associated with grit (β = 0.25, p < 0.001) and English proficiency (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), whereas the path from grit to English proficiency was non-significant (β = –0.06, ns). An extended model that added engagement and teacher motivation as predictors of grit achieved adequate fit but yielded no additional significant paths once SRL was included, underscoring the primacy of strategic learning behaviors over external supports. Findings suggest that perseverance develops as a consequence of effective self-regulation rather than its antecedent, and that language confidence is better explained by goal setting, planning, and monitoring. The study also illustrates how structural equation modeling can adjudicate between competing theoretical accounts through information-theoretic model selection. Practically, results support integrating explicit SRL training into English instruction and treating grit as an emergent outcome of sustained regulatory practice.
Keywords: English Proficiency, Grit, Self-Regulated Learning, Structural Equation Modeling, University Students.