Profiles of EFL Learners' Motivational Regulation Strategies and Their Nonlinear Relationship to English Writing Performance in Mainland China

The present study investigated the profiles of motivational regulation strategies for writing (MRSW) and examined the relationship between learners' use of MRSW and their English writing performance across different profiles. L2 Writing Strategies for Motivational Regulation Questionnaire (L2WSMRQ) was administered to examine the potential profiles with a total of 604 senior high school students. Latent profile analysis yielded three subgroups of motivational regulation strategies for writing: limited, modest and competent regulators. The results of multi-group structural equation modeling revealed the significant effects of motivational regulation strategies on English writing in all three profiles. More importantly, the present study found that the relation between motivational regulation strategies and English writing performance varied across the three profiles. The most salient effect that motivational regulation strategies had was on the learners in the modest MRSW profiles, followed by the competent and limited MRSW profile, displaying a low-high-low pattern. These findings may provide pedagogical implications for EFL teachers.