Abstract: The growth behavior of ferrite grains under three different thermal mechanical processing schedules was investigated by SEM, EBSD (electron back scattering diffraction) and X-ray diffraction techniques. Results show that the relative contribution of recovery, recrystallization and grain growth was related with the status of second-phase particles and the orientations of ferrite grains. The ultra-fine ferrite grains produced by deformation-enhanced transformation had less driving force to recrystallize since less stored energy was left after deformation. They grow apparently because of the late precipitation of second-phase particles. Although ferrite deformed below A₁ temperature gained the highest stored energy and strongest texture, only partial recrystallization occurred in such grains because of the effective pinning of second-phase particles. The intensity of <111> fiber texture decreases more apparently than that of <100> fiber texture. When deformed at α+γ dual-phase region, the ferrite grains grew in the way of recovery. The recrystallization tendencies of grains with <111> and <100> orientations are different.