Construction and Development of a Questionnaire of Grammar Learning Strategies with a Focus on the Most and Least Utilized Strategies: Insights from Iranian EFL Learners

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

Ebrahim Zeinali ¹ , Shahram Afraz ^{2 *} , Fazlolah Samimi ³

1 - PhD Candidate, Department of English Language Teaching, Qe. C. , Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of English Language Teaching, Qe. C. , Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of ELT, BA. C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran

Received: 2025-03-02 Accepted : 2025-07-26 Published : 2025-08-03

Keywords: Grammar Learning Strategies, Iranian EFL Learners, Strategy Use, Language Learning, EFL Context,

Abstract :

This quasi-experimental, quantitative study aimed to explore the most and least used grammar learning strategies employed by Iranian EFL learners in validating and utilizing a strategy-use questionnaire grounded in Zeinali et al.'s (2024) theoretical framework. The tool was pilot-tested for reliability and construct validity using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), possessing a satisfactory internal consistency. The questionnaire, translated into Persian to ensure clarity to participants, was then administered to study 270 learners of elementary and advanced proficiency levels at the Iran Language Institute, using convenience sampling. The results indicated that learners used communicative strategies most frequently, matching their need for active, purposeful use of language, and memory strategies least frequently. The instrument was seen to be valid in assessing learners' strategic tendencies and gaining insight into the processes of their learning grammar. These findings highlight the central role of communicative and metacognitive strategies; they also suggest that teachers and curriculum designers need to pay more attention to interactive and self-regulated teaching of grammar. Implications emphasize adjusting grammar teaching to learners' most liked strategies in the Iranian EFL context.

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