Exploring English Majors’ Views and Perceptions of Emergency Remote Learning, Learner Autonomy, and L1 Use in Asynchronous Video Lectures

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore university students’ views and perceptions of emergency remote learning (ERL), their self-reported degree of learner autonomy, and the use of the first language (L1) in asynchronous classes (i.e., pre-recorded video lectures) during their transition to ERL in Spring 2020. The participants were predominantly freshmen students studying English Language and Literature (ELL) at a public university in Turkey. The data was collected via a cross-sectional five-part web-based questionnaire using convenience sampling (n = 86). The study reveals interesting findings regarding (a) students’ views about ERL, (b) their self-reported degree of learner autonomy, (c) their views about lecturers’ L1 use in asynchronous video lectures, and (d) whether and how these variables are interrelated and can be predicted by background variables. The qualitative findings further suggest that students hold mixed opinions regarding their new learning experience and mention the technical issues, lack of contact, and psychological problems as the most urgent issues to be addressed. Students were also found to be quite autonomous, and this was correlated with ERL ratings. Additionally, a majority of the ELL students considered the use of L1 in video lectures acceptable as long as it was limited. The findings are likely to inform the academicians who teach English majors at higher education institutions as well as learning management system designers by providing them with various insights.