Fostering EFL University Students’ Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning in Writing: A Socio-Constructivist Approach

　　Writing is a complex cognitive skill essential for both academic and professional communication. In many exam-oriented English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) contexts, students often acquire writing passively and tend to lose motivation once exams are completed. Since motivation and self-regulated learning (SRL) influence the sustained effort needed for writing development, understanding how students’ motivation is supported and how they employ SRL strategies can offer valuable insights for teaching practice. 　　This qualitative case study explores how six first-year EFL university students with prior exam-focused writing experience developed motivation and utilized SRL strategies in a year-long English writing course designed around a socio-constructivist approach. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, self-reflections, and students’ developing drafts. The analysis revealed that the students experienced positive changes in writing motivation as the course progressed. Their motivation grew through heightened task interest, which helped clarify outcome expectations and shift their goal orientation from vague career aspirations to specific skill improvement. The students also applied a range of SRL strategies, among which self-evaluative standards proved particularly crucial, as they enabled effective feedback integration and concrete revision goal-setting. These findings highlight the value of incorporating a socio-constructivist approach into writing courses to gradually transform students’ writing experiences and outcomes in exam-oriented EFL contexts, offering implications for both researchers and practitioners.