Development Of Learner Autonomy Research Articles

Формирование автономности студентов вуза в России при обучении профессионально ориентированному переводу

The research discusses the development of students autonomy in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in Russia in vocationally-oriented language learning (VOLL). The authors analyze the works of Russian and western scientists in this field, reveal similarities and differences in their views, and provide their definition of learner autonomy. Based on the ways to develop learner autonomy, the authors distinguish motivational, personal, and competence-based components in the structure of students autonomy. To develop the autonomous skills of would-be interpreters of vocationally-oriented texts, the authors propose to use Moodle e-learning platform and specify the educational environment of its effective application to achieve the objective. The authors conducted a series of experiments that proved the efficiency of the methods suggested.

РОЛЬ СУЧАСНИХ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ У НАВЧАННІ ДОРОСЛИХ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

The article deals with the specifi c role of information and communication technologies in adult foreign language learning. Andragogical principles and characteristics of adult language learners are specifi ed.These characteristics have to be taken into account in order to design the relevant learning content that meets the specifi c needs of adult language learners, to create motivating, autonomous, supportive and emotionally safelearning environment to ensure the effectiveness of learning. Multimedia language programmes, computer games, podcasts as the most effective information and communication technologies and e-learning as a learner-focused approach are studied. A remarkable feature of multimedia programmes is that being an independent study tool they can provide fully learner controlled environment, better suited for adults, and promote more refl ective and deeper learning. Podcasts increase the effectiveness of foreign language acquisitionand are widely used in mobile learning, promoting development of learner autonomy, critical thinking, implementing modern educational standards, corresponding to the basic principles of the student-centred approach in foreign language teaching. Information and communication technologies support the concept of continuous lifelong learning, enlarge the communicative opportunities of adult learners, their linguistic capabilities, promote personal interaction, developall types of language skills based on a learner-centred approach.

EFL learners' perceptions of factors influencing learner autonomy development

Together with recent technological advances in a variety of tools (such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube), learners have been provided with freedom and openness to communicate with each other and to become proactive and independent in their learning. It is believed, however, that Asian learners seem to possess reactive autonomy so that while they can organize their resources autonomously to achieve their learning goals, they are unable to take responsibility for their own learning. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to explore the factors that influence Vietnamese EFL learners' support for or resistance to promoting learner autonomy within a 15-week, portfolio-based writing course. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and writing logs in this qualitative research and analyzed through content analysis. The findings showed three major factors (personal, academic, and external) supporting and resisting developing learner autonomy in the portfolio-based writing course.

TOWARDS AUTONOMY IN LANGUAGE LEARNING: THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

It is the purpose of this paper to examine some aspects of autonomy in language learning with a specific focus on the transition from high school to the first year at university. This transition can be problematic, in that study at a university level requires a degree of independence and initiative which is not generally required in the supportive learning environment of the school system. Our starting point is identifying those characteristics which make a good language learner (Naiman et al. 1978; Johnson 2001; Maftoon and Seyyedrezaei 2012) and to demonstrate that these characteristics are largely an innate capacity of some and not all learners. Among these characteristics there is the ability to establish a systematic and autonomous approach to the learning process on the basis of personal inclinations and individual life-skills (Dublin Descriptors 2005). In this sense the good learner is not a passive participant in the process, but, as Schön (1987) claims, acts as a ‘problem-solver’, able to make decisions and put those decisions into practice. That is to say, learning is ‘the creation of knowledge’ (Kolb 1984). Finally, an approach to developing learner autonomy is illustrated, based on the personal experience of the author within the context of a first year ESP course in Communication Studies at the University of Cagliari (Italy). The course makes extensive use of the new technologies through a Moodle platform. It will be demonstrated that a blend of traditional teaching and e-learning can provide a ‘bridge’ between school and university, allowing the learner to move within a flexible environment and acquire the skills necessary for successful learning.

Reflecting on Approaches for Developing Learner Autonomy in a Juku and Eikaiwa Setting

A number of different approaches can be taken to provide students with greater control over their learning in order to develop learner autonomy. Teacher-based, classroom-based and curriculum-based approaches are similar in that their implementation causes changes to what are considered traditional educational norms. In this reflective article, these approaches are firstly summarised. Then, the author, currently an MA TESOL program student and having recently undertaken a course on learner autonomy, reflects on using the approaches for promoting learner autonomy, in the context of his cram school (juku) and English conversation (eikaiwa) classes in Japan.

Fostering the Development of Language Learner Autonomy Through Peer and Self-Assessment

Autonomy and assessment have been the subject of renewed interest within the field of education. English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts have attracted particular interest as the importance of learner autonomy for language learners continues to be researched and acknowledged, while an understanding of the relationship between assessment and autonomy continues to grow. Questions remain, however, whether autonomy lends itself willingly to assessment, or if indeed there are unobtrusive and practical ways to do so. Nevertheless, assessment and autonomy may be related at other junctures. This paper outlines a classroom-based intervention whereby assessment descriptors were used to engage university age English language learners in Japan in reflection and response, as one of the tools used in a continuous assessment approach to the evaluation of participation and communication. An examination of the background and context underpinning this intervention is first provided, followed by an analysis of learner responses to questions related to self-assessment. In conclusion, ways in which these may be viewed in relationship to broad indicators of autonomy, and the development of metacognitive awareness are discussed.

CREATIVE METHODS IN TRANSFORMING EDUCATION USING HUMAN RESOURCES / KŪRYBINIAI METODAI PERTVARKANT ŠVIETIMĄ PASITELKUS ŽMOGIŠKUOSIUS IŠTEKLIUS

Language teaching has become more learner-centered for last three decades. Teachers with a potential of being change-agent received considerable attention of researchers. Teachers need to reconsider their traditional role in helping learners control their learning. Present study investigated viable autonomy-supportive teaching role and creative practices teachers can follow to aid their learners in becoming autonomous. Data were collected from 16 university teachers teaching English communication skills at Bachelor of Science level in public sector universities of the Punjab, Pakistan. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather teachers’ perceptions. Results revealed that teachers perceived their role vital in developing learner autonomy but they considered a meaningful change in present role with a gradual shift of learning responsibilities from teacher to learner. Moreover, 11 autonomy-supportive teaching practices were suggested to enable learners to control their learning. Study proposed teachers to be trained for their new role, and must have teaching autonomy to materialize autonomy-supportive practices.

The control of ventilation during exercise: a lesson in critical thinking.

Learning the basic competencies of critical thinking are very important in the education of any young scientist, and teachers must be prepared to help students develop a valuable set of analytic tools. In my experience, this is best achieved by encouraging students to study areas with little scientific consensus, such as the control mechanisms of the exercise ventilatory response, as it can allow greater objectivity when evaluating evidence, while also giving students the freedom to think independently and problem solve. In this article, I discuss teaching strategies by which physiology, biomedical science, and sport science students can simultaneously develop their understanding of respiratory control mechanisms and learn to critically analyze evidence thoroughly. This can be best achieved by utilizing both teacher-led and student-led learning environments, the latter of which encourages the development of learner autonomy and independent problem solving. In this article, I also aim to demonstrate a systematic approach of critical assessment that students can be taught, adapt, and apply independently. Among other things, this strategy involves: 1) defining the precise phenomenon in question; 2) understanding what investigations must demonstrate to explain the phenomenon and its underlying mechanisms; 3) evaluating the explanations/mechanisms of the phenomenon and the evidence for them; and 4) forming strategies to produce strong evidence, if none exists.

Accompagnement à l’autonomie d’apprentissage dans les cours en ligne offerts aux masses :

Dans cet article, nous présentons le résultat d’une étude de cas réalisée dans le cadre du MOOC « Ville durable : être acteur du changement ». Cette étude a été réalisée de manière empirique et interprétative. Elle nous amène à proposer un modèle de « l’agir participant », élaboré à partir de l’interprétation des échanges (traces) qui ont lieu sur les forums de discussion associés aux « tâches participatives ». Cette interprétation a été formalisée à partir de l’analyse qualitative et quantitative des échanges, selon trois dimensions : la séquentialité des échanges, les configurations techniques et les ressources linguistiques. Cette étude nous amène à déterminer des profils de participants, selon leur type de contribution, leurs actions, leurs réactions face au groupe, la nature de leurs rétroactions et leurs intentions. L’enjeu d’une telle étude, même si elle reste exploratoire à ce stade, est de mieux identifier les stratégies de participation des apprenants dans les dispositifs de type MOOC pour mieux penser, en retour, l’accompagnement à l’autonomie d’apprentissage et formuler des recommandations aux futurs concepteurs de MOOC.

The Connotations of Language Teacher Autonomy

With the research on the development of learner autonomy in foreign language education, teacher autonomy has become a hot topic in the research of foreign language teacher education. However, it is the most difficult question to define language teacher autonomy and any answer to it is likely to be subjective. On the basis of expounding upon the different definitions concerning the research on teacher autonomy in language teaching and learning, the focus of the present paper is to clarify the connotations of language teacher autonomy and a working definition is made.

Does Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Mitigate Learner Autonomy Development?

Does Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Mitigate Learner Autonomy Development?

Corpus-aided Business English Collocation Pedagogy: An Empirical Study in Chinese EFL Learners

This study reports an empirical study of an explicit instruction of corpus-aided Business English collocations and verifies its effectiveness in improving learners’ collocation awareness and learner autonomy, as a result of which is significant improvement of learners’ collocation competence. An eight-week instruction in keywords’ collocations, with the help of AntConc and self-constructed Business English Pedagogical Corpus combined with COCA general corpus and Wikipedia corpus, was imparted to 23 undergraduate learners majoring in Business English in Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. They took the collocation competence pre-test and post-test before and after the teaching experiment which was phased into two themes and submitted learning reflective journals at the end of each theme instruction and answered a questionnaire at the final end. The data from the tests, reflective journals and questionnaire collaboratively suggest that given appropriate guidance EFL Business English learners can take a more active role in raising their collocation awareness and developing learner autonomy and thus improve their collocation competence significantly. The results from the test analysis also indicate that the corpus-aided Business English collocation pedagogy is proved to be more effective for intermediate and advanced level learners rather than lower level ones. The findings have pedagogical implications for EFL Business English instructors and learners.

Teachers’ and learners’ beliefs about language learning autonomy and its implications in the classroom: A mixed method study

Justifications for promoting learner autonomy in language learning are manifold. As teachers have a central role in developing learner autonomy and given the influence teachers’ beliefs have on their practices (Borg, 2006), it is essential to gain insight into their views regarding learner autonomy (Borg & Al-Busaidi, 2012). Similarly, learners’ perceptions concerning language learning influence their openness to the ideas presented in the language classroom (Cotterall, 1995). Furthermore, as mismatches between teachers’ and students’ beliefs could have a negative impact on learners’ motivation, understanding the relationship between teachers’ and students’ beliefs might lead to more successful learning. The present study explored language teachers’ and learners’ beliefs and classroom practices concerning learner autonomy in a Hungarian secondary school. Mixed methods were used: attitude-questionnaires and interviews revealed what language teachers (n=9) understood by learner autonomy and in what ways they claimed that they incorporated it in their practice. The study also looked into language learners’ beliefs (n=100) and reported autonomous behaviours. A questionnaire explored to what extent students felt responsible for their autonomy in language learning. Furthermore, classroom observations helped to gain insight into teachers’ classroom practices and language learners’ autonomous behaviours. Finally, the study revealed correspondences and mismatches between teachers’ and students’ autonomous beliefs. The findings of the study have pedagogical implications for practicing teachers and teacher educators as their awareness should be raised about the importance of learner autonomy to help them shape their learners’ learning experiences positively regarding autonomy development.

Learner Autonomy and Playful Learning: Students' Experience of a Gamified Application for French as a Foreign Language

Learner autonomy is a central theme in foreign language learning (FLL) research and is encouraged by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In Norway, the national curriculum for foreign languages also emphasises the importance of taking charge of one's own learning. Games and gamification are perceived as ways to foster and develop learner autonomy in FLL classes. However, only a few studies have researched these assumptions in practice. The present study investigates the emergence of learner autonomy in relation to the use of a gamified application for a French-as-a-foreign-language course. The application was developed and implemented for a whole school year in a second-year class of a Norwegian upper-secondary school. Interview data, the data log, and observation data were collected to analyse the students' use of the application in practice. The study shows that the application supports the emergence of learner autonomy. The students take control of the learning activity and create their own learning paths. These results are promising for the use of gamification in FLL contexts. The structure of the gamified application provides a frame within which students could develop their learner autonomy and participate in the collaborative dimension of learning.

Establishing Learner Autonomy in China’s Universities through Achievement Presentation

Learner’s role in learning a foreign language has been paid more and more attention in the recent years and learner autonomy is widely recognized as an educational goal. How to integrate teaching with developing learner autonomy has become a hot topic in the educational reform. However, few researches have been made in China’s specific class context. The extension learning achievement presentation (ELAP) activity conducted in two of China’s universities is such an exploratory practice. Based on the theory of learner autonomy and the characteristics of university students, the ELAP is designed to make an integration of students’ learning both in and out class so as to promote the simultaneous development of autonomous learning and language use abilities. The combination of classroom teaching with students’ out class learning enables the foreign language learning to become a process of learner autonomy development. In the process of sharing each other’s achievements, the students deepen their understanding of the knowledge learned and widen their horizon. The result of quantitative and qualitative data analysis reveals that the ELAP has greatly stimulated the students’ enthusiasm in learning. They have undertaken reflective learning, made a better understanding of their learning methods and process, and raised their autonomous learning awareness and ability. And the teachers’ orientation in helping shift the students’ learning concept and methods has been proved to be the major affecting factor to success or failure of the ELAP and the cultivation of students’ autonomous learning ability.

Implementing project-based language teaching in an Asian context: a university EAP writing course case study from Macau

Project-based language teaching (PBLT) provides a number of potential language learning benefits through opportunities for authentic meaningful language use. Previous research has also indicated how PBLT can encourage student motivation and develop learner autonomy. However, mixed findings have been found when implementing PBLT in Asian contexts. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a PBLT project and explore the implementation and student perceptions of this project within an EAP writing course in Macau. The study utilized student questionnaire data (n = 16) and teacher reflections. Results indicated that the project appeared effective at creating opportunities for meaningful interactive language use, and students were comfortable with their autonomous role within the project. Findings also indicated that student motivation, autonomy and learning opportunities were raised through the PBLT approach. These results are discussed in light of the previous research on implementing PBLT in Asian EFL contexts, and further potential improvements to the project used in the current study are explored.

Learner Autonomy in University English Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices

While much has been written on the concept and development of learner autonomy, limited studies have investigated the perceptions and classroom practices of teachers in fostering learner autonomy. This paper sets out to examine what teachers think about learner autonomy as well as the strategies they use to develop autonomous learners in a university setting using a qualitative approach. Five English teachers were selected using purposive sampling and a semi-structured interview was conducted with each of them to obtain in-depth data on their perceptions and teaching practices revolving around autonomous learning. The findings revealed that although university teachers possessed a fair understanding of what learner autonomy involves, there was a lack of focus in terms of developing learner autonomy in the classroom due to a number of challenges such as lack of teacher readiness, passive student attitude as well as the relevance and timing of English courses within the university curriculum.Keywords: Learner autonomy, Teacher perception, Teaching practices, English classrooms

Promoting Self-regulated Learning in Science: A Case Study of a Sri Lankan Secondary School Science Teacher

Free to read on publisher website The literature highlights the importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) in fostering students’ achievement. The research to date has paid little attention on developing in-service secondary school science teachers’ practices that foster SRL. This paper reports on part of a larger study of senior secondary school teachers’ practices used to foster science achievement and an examination of how these practices related to SRL. In this paper, the case study of one senior secondary school science teacher is presented. Classroom observations and a semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The case study teacher used several practices to help students to develop aspects of SRL, such as goal setting, modeling, scaffolding, and developing learner autonomy. However, teaching practices that are advocated for the development of SRL such as problem-solving and critical thinking were not prominent in her teaching practices. It seems that the overloaded science syllabus, limited resources were barriers for her to use teaching practices that foster SRL.

УРАХУВАННЯ МОТИВАЦІЇ У ФОРМУВАННІ МОВНОЇ АВТОНОМІЇ СТУДЕНТІВ

Background: The notion of independent, autonomous learners is the focus of modern teaching paradigm as the key to success in language learning. At the same time the analysis of students’ attitude to their learning process has shown that many university students are not ready to take the responsibility for their own progress. The research in the field of learners’ moti­vation proves that motivation is the basic ingredient of the promotion and development of the autonomous language learning environment which results in the shift from teacher-centered to student-centered approach in the language classroom. Purpose: The purpose of the article is to discuss the nature of motivation of adults’ learners as a means of fostering learn­er autonomy and to outline the strategy of building up students’ independence in the language classroom. Results: A learner’s desire to succeed which is based on his ability to control and influence the situation appears to be the major external force behind language learning. The interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has led to a wealth of practical implications such as providing students with a repertoire of learning strategies that can help them become better motivated and more autonomous learners. The result of this type of teaching is the understanding of the importance of self-control as the means of enhancing students’ motivation and, as a result, to provide opportunities for feedback improve­ment through reflection, planning how to proceed with a learning task, monitoring one’s own performance on an ongoing basis, and self-evaluation upon task completion. Self-control has a four-stage development framework of a different degree of a student’s subordination to a teacher. It is expedient to rely on a teacher’s coaching and students’ cooperation while creating an efficient learning environment to enhance students’ self-control skills. Discussion: The discussion about intrinsic motivation has always been recognized as the primary impetus to initiate foreign language learning and later a driving force to sustain the self-directed learning process. Yet, “external” rewards such as passing grades or better employment opportunities, are essential for developing learner autonomy too. Thus extrinsic mo­tivation can be viewed as a stimulus to the degree of fostering the autonomous learning in case an adult learner lacks intrinsic motivation.

Developing Learner Autonomy: The Perceptions and Needs of Japanese EFL Learners

Developing Learner Autonomy: The Perceptions and Needs of Japanese EFL Learners