Learner Agency under Exam-Oriented Education: An Ecological Perspective in the EFL Context

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhet.202615235

Author(s)

Jiang Xinyi

Affiliation(s)

Chongqing Normal University, Shapingba, Chongqing, China

Abstract

In EFL settings focused on exams, learner agency is usually regarded as limited. High-risk testing is the main cause of this restriction. It is generally believed that there is a clear boundary between a true agent and merely abiding by the rules. This article opposes this view. Students do not merely accept the restrictions of the system. They work actively with them, adapt to them, and use them in smart ways. This study drew on the chord triad model. It also adopts an ecological perspective. It explores how learner agency are established, put into action and maintained when there is exam pressure. This study adopts a sequential interpretation design using a mixed method. We conducted a survey among 450 undergraduate students from three universities in China. We obtained 436 valid answers from the survey. We also conducted semi-structured interviews. Ten carefully selected people participated in these interviews. the results show that the students have medium to high initiative. This is true even under the heavy pressure of exams. Managing resources is the most obvious function. Regression analysis reveals some important things. Projective and practical-evaluative agency are helpful in predicting English academic performance, whereas iterational agency did not have a significant predictive effect. Qualitative analysis identified three learner profiles: alienated resisters, compliant performers, and strategic navigators. This paper suggests strategic compliance. It’s a type of agency linked to certain cultures. It’s more common in Confucian Heritage Culture places. Generative AI acts as a key digital tool. It makes work more efficient. It gives students more chance to get personalized help. It builds spaces that focus on learners. These spaces are outside classrooms that only focus on exams. the study comes to a conclusion. Exam-focused education doesn’t get rid of learner agency. the study concludes that exam-oriented education does not eliminate learner agency but reshapes it into strategic, adaptive, future-oriented, and technology-mediated forms.

Keywords

Learner Agency; Exam-Oriented Education; EFL; High-Stakes Testing; Strategic Compliance; Generative AI

References

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