Abstract
This paper reports on a forum featuring four presentations on learner autonomy research, all with practical applications. The paper gives an overview of the purpose of the forum, a short summary of each of the presentations, a discussion of some of the main themes and methods, and a summary of the ways in which the forum themes were continued to be investigated through the Q&A session and in follow-up recordings and interviews. The four projects described in the paper are: the role of classroom teachers in fostering out-of-class, autonomous language learning, exploring online peer interaction in social networking sites, examining the relationship between students’ agency and affordances for learning when studying abroad, and investigating learner autonomy in a self-access context from a self-determination theory perspective.
Highlights
In this paper, the authors provide a summary of a forum held at the 2019 JALT annual International Conference in Nagoya, Japan
The forum featured presentations on four pieces of research related to a particular aspect of learner autonomy
Louise Ohashi approached learner autonomy support from the perspective of the classroom teacher. Her stance on learner autonomy is that it is not a solo journey and can be fostered through teacher support (Blidi, 2017). She drew on her prior work in three different teaching contexts at Japanese universities to show how classroom teachers can provide support for learners to assist them in managing their learning beyond their face-to-face classes
Summary
As mentioned in the introduction to this paper, the research took place in four different learning contexts: In the classroom (Ohashi), in an online environment (Peeters), in a study abroad context (Tweed), and in a social self-access learning center (Watkins). The researchers drew on a number of theoretical models: self-directed learning (Ohashi), communities of practice (Peeters), agency within an ecology (Tweed), and selfdetermination theory (Watkins). The methods in all cases tended to be qualitative interpretations of the data conducted by the researchers which is appropriate for exploring the development of a complex process like learner autonomy. The four different studies highlight the creative and varied ways in which researchers might approach the investigation of learner autonomy in various contexts. Each of the projects could be replicated or adapted, and it is hoped that further studies in these areas by other researchers can continue to shed light on ways in which learner autonomy is best facilitated
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