Tracking the stability and change of volition of foreign language learners

The aim in this study was to examine the role of self-regulation as volition in English vocabulary learning on EFL learners. A discussion of diverse theories of self-regulation showed that volition appeared to be the core element of the construct of self-regulation. Nevertheless, it was noted that the view of volition as aptitude in vocabulary learning had not yet been empirically tested, thus in this study a 10-month prospective longitudinal design was adopted to collect data at several different time points. A First-Order Autoregressive Model and a Latent Growth Curve Model were formulated respectively to track the stability and change of volition. Results showed that the latter had better fit than the former.