Teachers’ Beliefs on Autonomous English Learning in Chinese Universities

Abstract

Autonomous English learning has gained increasing attention from English teachers in Chinese universities. However, few empirical studies were conducted to explore this notion from teachers’ perspective. In this study, by means of a mixed approach, the belief of English teachers in Chinese universities was explored, mainly based on the data from 481 quantitative questionnaires and supplemented by the online in-depth interviews. The study explored the teachers’ beliefs about learner autonomy including their belief about its definition, the methods of developing learner autonomy and teachers’ roles in its cultivation. Beside, their beliefs about the impact of age, culture and motivation on learner autonomy were investigated. The study revealed that consistency existed among teachers in the belief about the definition of learner autonomy while inconsistencies existed in how to improve students’ learner autonomy. Also this research revealed that culture, motivation and traditional teaching mode affected the effective implementation of this concept. In the future, we might deepen the understanding of this educational concept and provide favorable conditions for the teachers to effectively put this approach into practice in the classroom settings.