Making ste ps on the ir own : T e ac he r s pe r spe c tive s on - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Making ste ps on the ir own : T e ac he r s’ pe r spe c tive s on le ar ne r autonomy Re se a rc he rs: Je nny F ie ld a nd Re b e c c a Va ne Wa ika to I nstitute o f T e c hno lo g y, Ne w Ze a la nd

Ba c kg ro und  I nitia l re se a rc h c o nduc te d in Oma n b y Bo rg a nd Al-Busa idi (2012) a t Sulta n Qa b o o s Unive rsity  I n Oc to b e r 2013, Dr Ro g e r Ba rna rd pre se nte d a n o utline o f re se a rc h he inte nde d to c o nduc t o n the sa me the me with te a c he rs in Asia n unive rsitie s  He sug g e ste d a simila r pro je c t b e c a rrie d o ut in the Ce ntre fo r L a ng ua g e s, Wa ika to I nstitute o f T e c hno lo g y

De finitio ns o f le a rne r a uto no my Ho le c , H. ( 1981)  In the c o nte xt o f le a rning la ng ua g e s a uto no my me a ns “ the a b ility to ta ke c ha rg e o f o ne ’ s o wn le a rning p.3.”  T his a b ility is no t inb o rn b ut must b e a c q uire d b y na tura l me a ns o r b y fo rma l le a rning  It is a n a b ility a nd no t a type o f c o nduc t o r b e ha vio ur. T o sa y o f a le a rne r tha t he is a uto no mo us is to sa y tha t he / she is c a pa ble of ta king c ha r g e of his/ he r own le a r ning . Ho le c sug g e ste d tha t this me a ns:  De te rmining the o b je c tive s  De fining the c o nte xt a nd pro g re ssio ns  Se le c ting me tho ds a nd te c hniq ue s to b e use d  Mo nito ring the pro c e dure o f a c q uisitio n pro pe rly  E va lua ting wha t ha s b e e n a c q uire d

Be nso n (2001) “… the c a pa c ity to ta ke c ha rg e o f, o r re spo nsib ility fo r, o ne ’ s o wn le a rning p.47.” I t is a multidime nsio na l c o nstruc t. Altho ug h we ma y b e a b le to ide ntify a nd list b e ha vio urs tha t de mo nstra te c o ntro l o ve r le a rning a nd hypo the sise c e rta in re la tio nships a mo ng the m, we ha ve little e vide nc e to sug g e st tha t a uto no my c o nsists o f a ny pa rtic ula r c o mb ina tio n o f the se b e ha vio urs.

L ittle (1991)  I t a ppe a rs tha t a uto no my c a n b e re c o g nise d in a va rie ty o f fo rms. “I t is true o f c o urse tha t we re c o g nise a uto no mo us le a rne rs b y the ir b e ha vio urs, b ut tha t c a n ta ke nume ro us diffe re nt fo rms de pe nding o n the ir a g e , ho w fa r the y ha ve pro g re sse d with the ir le a rning , wha t the y pe rc e ive the ir imme dia te le a rning ne e ds to b e , a nd so o n. Auto no my in o the r wo rds c a n ma nife st itse lf in ma ny diffe re nt wa ys p.4.”

 L e a rne r a uto no my is c ha ra c te rise d b y a re a dine ss to ta ke c ha rg e o f o ne ’ s o wn le a rning in the se rvic e o f o ne ’ s ne e ds a nd purpo se s. T his e ntails a c apac ity and willingne ss to ac t inde pe nde ntly and in c oope r ation with othe r s, as a soc ially r e sponsible pe r son. (Da m, E riksso n, L ittle , Milia nde r a nd T re b b i1990)

T he pe da g o g y o f a uto no my (Smith 2003)  we ak ve r sion  a uto no my is a c apac ity whic h stude nts c ur e ntly lac k ( a nd so ne e d r tra ining to wa rds). T he unde rlying a ssumptio ns te nd to b e tha t stude nts a re de fic ie nt in a uto no my,… b ut tha t a uto no my is ne ve rthe le ss a g o a l wo rth pursuing with the m…  str ong ve r sion  stude nts a re a lre a dy a uto no mo us, a nd alr e ady c apable of e xe r c ising this c apac ity  pp. (Smith 2003)pp 130-1.”

Be nso n (2012) Whe n a ske d –” b ut ho w do we do it he re ? ” “ the the o ry o f a uto no my ma y b e st se rve a s a c onc e ptua l tool - kit to b e use d a t va rio us le ve ls o f e duc a tio na l de c isio n-ma king .  E nc o ura g ing stude nt pre pa ra tio n  Dra wing o n o ut-o f-c la ss e xpe rie nc e  Using ‘ a uthe ntic ’ ma te ria ls a nd ‘ re a l’ la ng ua g e  Inde pe nde nt inq uiry. Asking stude nts to find o ut thing s fo r the mse lve s …we ma y a sk whe the r o ur c ho ic e s a nd de c isio n a s te a c he rs he lp stude nts de ve lo p the a bility, de sir e e dom to c o ntro l a re a s o f the ir le a rning tha t a re e a nd fr impo rta nt to the m p.24. ”

Re se a rc h q ue stio ns  1. Wha t do e s ‘ le a rne r a uto no my’ me a n to E ng lish la ng ua g e te a c he rs a t the CfL ?  2. T o wha t e xte nt, a c c o rding to the te a c he rs, do e s le a rne r a uto no my c o ntrib ute to L 2 le a rning ?  3. Do te a c he rs fe e l tha t it is de sira b le a nd fe a sib le to pro mo te le a rne r a uto no my?  4. T o wha t e xte nt do te a c he rs fe e l the ir le a rne rs a re a uto no mo us?  5. T o wha t e xte nt do te a c he rs sta te tha t the y a c tua lly pro mo te le a rne r a uto no my?  6. Are the finding s in re la tio n to stude nts fro m L imite d L ite ra c y Ba c kg ro unds simila r to the finding s in re la tio n to the re st o f the c o ho rt a t the CfL ? Wha t is the sig nific a nc e o f the se simila ritie s o r diffe re nc e s in re la tio n to pro mo ting L e a rne r Auto no my with this g ro up o f le a rne rs?

T he surve y  37 ra te r-b a se d ite ms  10 q ue stio ns o n the de sira b ility a nd fe a sib ility o f le a rne r a uto no my  So me o pe n e nde d q ue stio ns whic h a ske d fo r te a c he rs writte n c o mme nts  10x 20 minute inte rvie ws with te a c he rs who indic a te d the ir inte re st in b e ing inte rvie we d.

Ana lysis Sta tistic a l a na lysis  Da ta fro m 37 q ue stio n surve y a nd de sira b ility a nd fe a sib ility we re e nte re d into SPSS 22 to o l  Que stio ns a b o ut le a rne rs a nd te a c he rs we re ma nua lly a na lyse d Qua lita tive da ta  I nte rvie ws we re tra nsc rib e d using Dra g o n  Ca te g o rie s a nd the me s e me rg e d fro m the da ta

E ng lish la ng ua g e te a c he rs’ be lie fs a t Winte c a bout le a rne r a utonomy Me an sc or e 19.2 20 18.45 18.15 18 16.45 16 14 12.15 12.2 11.85 12 10 8.1 7.25 8 6.2 6 4 2 0 Pa r tic ipa nts

Ra ting s fro m te a c he rs Teachers' Perspectives on Learner Autonomy LA is an innate vs. learned capacity 10.0 15.0 35.0 30.0 10.0 The relationship of LA to effective language learning 10.0 35.0 55.0 The implications of LA to for teaching methodology 75.0 25.0 Proficiency and LA 25.0 75.0 Age and LA 5.0 90.0 5.0 The relevance of LA to diverse cultural contexts 65.0 35.0 The role of the teacher in LA 5.0 85.0 10.0 Political perspectives on LA 5.0 25.0 55.0 15.0 Social perspectives on LA 20.0 75.0 5.0 Psychological perspectives on LA 60.0 40.0 Technical perspectives on LA 15.0 75.0 10.0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Strongly disagree Disagree Unsure Agree Strongly agree

Mo re inve stig a tio n into the ro le o f the te a c he r The role of the teacher in learner autonomy The teacher has an important role to play in supporting learner autonomy 5.0 55.0 40.0 LA can't develop without the help of a teacher 10.0 45.0 20.0 25.0 LA implies a rejection of traditional teacher-led teaching 5.0 30.0 20.0 40.0 5.0 LA can't be promoted in teacher centred classrooms 5.0 40.0 15.0 25.0 15.0 LA means learning without a teacher 10.0 65.0 20.0 5.0 LA can develop most effectively through learning outside the classroom 10.0 20.0 40.0 30.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 Strongly disagree Disagree Unsure Agree Strongly agree

L e ar ne r s have the ability to L e a r n inde pe nde ntly L e a r n c oope r a tive ly E va luate the ir own le a r ning Monitor the ir pr og r e ss Ide ntify the ir own we a kne sse s Ide ntify the ir own str e ngths Ide ntify the ir own ne e ds 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 F e asibility De sir ability

L e ar ne r s ar e involve d in de c isions about Classr oom ma nag e me nt T he te a c hing me thods use d How le a r ning is a sse sse d T he topic s disc usse d T he kinds of ta sks a nd a c tivitie s the y do T he ma te r ia ls use d T he obje c tive s of a c our se 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 F e asibility De sir ability

Re sults fro m surve y o f CfLte a c he rs

T he me s: Mo tiva tio n a nd c o nfide nc e  T e a c he rs fe e l tha t so me stude nts se e m to na tura lly have motivation and c onfide nc e b ut it a lso se e ms tha t te a c he rs think tha t the y ha ve a ro le in pro mo ting le a rne r mo tiva tio n in the ir c la ssro o m pra c tic e s – pla nning , c la ssro o m ma na g e me nt, c ho ic e o f ma te ria ls a nd inte ra c tio n te c hniq ue s.

I nte rre la tio nship b e twe e n c o nfide nc e , mo tiva tio n a nd le a rne r a uto no my Auto no my Co nfide nc e Mo tiva tio n

“L e arne rs that have hig he r le ve ls o f auto no my te nd to have a hig he r le ve l o f mo tivatio n . Whe n the y are mo tivate d the y are mo re like ly to take thing s in a faste r way. Whe n the y are mo tivate d this affe c ts the m e mo tio nally. T he y are r is available to the m , e ady to take in whate ve r and whe n the mo tivatio n is the re , the y kind o f spe e d up the ir le ar ning pro c e ss”