Author :
DOI : 10.18033/ijla.389
Year-Number: 2016-12
Language : null
Konu : Englih Language Teaching
Abstract
Bu çalışmanın amacı öğrencilerin özerklik gelişimi algıları hakkında iç görü kazanmak ve öğrencilerin Bilgisayar Destekli Dil Öğrenimi ortamında İngilizce öğrenme algılarını araştırmaktır. Öğrencilerin özerklik gelişimi hakkındaki algıları hakkında fikir sahibi olabilmek için, öğrenci özerkliğinin dört farklı alanı incelenmiştir: (a) Öğrencilerin İngilizce öğrenmeye ilişkin motivasyon düzeyleri, (b) Öğrencilerin İngilizce öğrenmede biliş üstü stratejilerin kullanımı, (c) Öğrencilerin İngilizce öğrenmede kendilerine ve öğretmenlerine yükledikleri sorumluluk anlayışları, (d) Öğrencilerin sınıf dışı faaliyetlerindeki İngilizce uygulamaları. Belirtilen hedeflere ulaşmak için, bir anket, yüz yüze yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler, kullanılarak nitel ve nicel veri toplanmıştır. Anket ile toplanan veri nicel analiz tekniğine ve görüşmelerden toplanan veri ise nitel analiz tekniğine tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular öğrencilerin çoğunluğunun yüksek bir motivasyona sahip olduğunu ve öğrencilerin kendi kendilerini gözlem ve değerlendirme yoluyla birtakım stratejileri kullanma eğiliminde olduklarını göstermiştir. Diğer taraftan, öğrencilerin çoğunun öğrenme sürecindeki işlerin pek çoğundan öğretmenlerini sorumlu tuttuğu ve İngilizcelerini geliştirmek için sınıf dışı aktivitelere çok az zaman ayırdıkları saptanmıştır. Çalışma boyunca, öğrencilerin motivasyonlarını artırabilmeleri, dil öğrenme tekniklerini kullanabilmeleri, kendi öğrenmelerinin sorumluluğunu alabilmeleri ve sınıf dışı aktivitelere katılabilmeleri için Bilgisayar Destekli Dil Öğrenimi derslerine katılmaları desteklenmiştir.
Keywords
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain insights into students’ perception of learner autonomy development and to explore learners’ perceptions of learning English within a CALL environment. In order to gain insights about the students’ perceptions of learner autonomy development, four areas of learner autonomy were examined: (a) Learners’ motivation level in learning English, (b) Learners’ use of metacognitive strategies in learning English, (c) Learners’ responsibility perception of their own and their teachers’ in learning English and (d) Learners’ practice of English in the outside class activities. In order to reach the goals mentioned above, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by the help of questionnaires, semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data collected from the questionnaire were subjected to descriptive analysis and the data collected from interviews were subjected to content analysis. The findings indicated that the majority of the students had a high motivation and most of them tended to use some metacognitive strategies like self-monitoring and self-evaluation. On the other hand, the findings revealed that most of the students considered the teacher as more responsible for most of the tasks during their own learning process, and tended to spend a little time for outside activities to improve their English. During the study, the students were encouraged to take an active involvement to the CALL classes to increase their motivation, use language learning strategies, take responsibility for their own learning and engage in outside class activities.
Keywords
- In language teaching, a teacher can provide all the necessary circumstances and input,but learning can only happen if learners are willing to contribute (Scharle and Szabô,2000). In other words, in order for learners to be actively involved in the learning process,they first need to realize and accept that success in learning depends as much on thestudent as on the teacher. That is, they share responsibility for the outcome.
- Furthermore, Scharle and Szabô (2000, p.4) point out “success in learning very much depends on learners having a responsible attitude”.
- Little (1991) claims that if language learners are to be efficient communicators in theirtarget language, they must be autonomous having enough independence, self relianceand confidence to accomplish a variety of social, psychological and discursive functions.Additionally, in order to highlight the importance of learner autonomy, Barnes (1976)claims that school knowledge is the knowledge which is presented by someone else. Thelearners partly grasp it, enough to answer the teacher’s question, to do exercises, or toanswer examination questions, but it remains someone else’s knowledge, not learners’. Iflearners never use this knowledge, they probably forget it. As far as the learners useknowledge for their purposes and use parts of it to cope with the exigencies of living, theycan integrate it into their view of the world. In that sense, practicing the knowledge to agreater responsibility on the part of the learner in planning and in conducting learning activities will lead to a greater degree of active involvement and better learning.
- According to Little (1995), learner autonomy is important for two reasons. Firstly, iflearners are themselves engaged in planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning, itshould follow that their learning will be more successful than otherwise because it ismore sharply focused; and the same reflective engagement should help to make what theylearn a fully integrated part of what they are, so that they can use the knowledge andskills acquired in the classroom and the world beyond it. This means that the targetlanguage must be used as the channel through which teaching and learning take place including the reflective processes of planning, monitoring and evaluation.
- As a conclusion, greater responsibility on the part of the learner in planning; conductinglearning activities will lead to a greater degree of active involvement, and better learningin the actual teaching learning situation, which again will influence the learners' potentialfor evaluating the process (Dam, 1995). In addition, Roberts, et al (1992) point out thatautonomy is a process, which needs to develop with all levels of language learners. Thatis why autonomous learning is a concept attracting increasing attention in language education (Cotterall and Crabbe, 1999).
- In order to become autonomous, learners need an appropriate environment where theyhave the opportunities to develop language learning skills, increase their motivation, takethe responsibility of their own learning and utilize the activities and materials outside theclassroom. However, expecting learners to develop autonomy in the traditionalclassrooms where teachers control and dominate learners allowing them to take noresponsibility for their own learning does not seem possible (Little, 1991:4). On the otherhand, Dolan (2002) points out that technology can create such a learning environment byencouraging and fostering learner autonomy in the sense of learner differences, takingresponsibility and control. In this respect, due to the fact that new technological advancessuch as computers and the Internet offer an appropriate environment where learners candevelop autonomy technology has gained significant popularity among language educators.
- There has been a disagreement about whether autonomy is “independence” which meanstaking responsibility for one’s own learning, setting goals and making decisions and selfevaluation of one’s own progress in the learning process or “interdependence” whichmeans implies working together with teachers and other learners towards shared goals(Blin, 2005). Most of the researchers believe that autonomy does not implyinterdependence. However, Benson (2001) claims that learners perform theirindependence within a specific socio-cultural context where independence, throughsocialization and interaction with teachers and peers will impact on the levels of controlthey exercise and develop. Accordingly, Little (1995) asserts that learner autonomy is theproduct of interdependence rather than independence because learners will not developtheir capacity for autonomous learning within formal contexts by only being told that theyare independent. The learners need help to achieve autonomy by processes of interaction.Additionally, Candy (1988) points out that the teacher and the learner can work towardsautonomy by creating a friendly atmosphere characterized by low threat, unconditionalpositive regard, honest and open feedback, respect for the ideas and opinions of others, collaborating instead of completing and acknowledging self-improvement as a goal.
- Although there have been many arguments on the learner autonomy, new technologicaladvances including computers and the internet has helped learner autonomy expand.Shetzer and Warschauer (2000, cited in Mutlu, 2008) connect the concept of learner autonomy and technology as in the following;
- According to Shetzer and Warschauer (cited in Mutlu, 2010), working cooperatively andcollaboratively not only with the teacher but also with other learners is important in orderto become autonomous learners. In that sense, it is believed that computers and theInternet and tools that they offer such as emails, discussion forums and online chatsprovide the language learners with a sociable and collaborative authentic environmentwhere learners develop autonomy and take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
- As a result, language educators have started to use the computer and the Internet toprovide additional learning material to develop autonomy. In recent years, advances intechnology have motivated teachers to reexamine the role of computer in second languagelearning. Hence, more teachers are using CALL and numerous articles have been writtenabout the role of computer in language learning. Though the potential of computer usehas not been fully explored and the average school still makes limited use of computers,it is apparent that a new information age has begun for language learning in which technology will play a more important role (Kung, 2002).
- In this study, a four-section questionnaire was administered in order to collect data forthe first research question. The questionnaire (Koçak, 2003) included four differentsections with 48 items. These sections were motivation, metacognitive strategies,responsibilities and the outside class activities. The number of items in each section wasas follows: 20 items in motivation, eight items in metacognitive strategies, 12 items in responsibilities and nine items in outside class activities.
- As is aforementioned, the data about learner autonomy development, the questionnaire(adapted from Koçak, 2003), including four aspects of learner autonomy, which areregarded as indicators of learner autonomy development in related literature, wasadministered to forty students. These indicators included Motivation level, Languagelearning strategy use, Taking responsibility for their own learning and Out-of-class activity use.
- The data regarding the motivation level of the students were gathered by the first sectionof the questionnaire, and supported by interviews done with the participants. The dataindicated that the students seemed to have a high motivation level. Since the motivationis one of the most significant elements in order to become an autonomous learner, it canbe said that the students in the study likely had enough level of motivation to beautonomous learners. Accordingly, it seems that there is a consistency with previousfindings, which point out that autonomous learners are motivated learners (Ushido,1996), and motivation has a significant role to enhance autonomous learning (Spratt,Humphery and Chan, 2002). The majority of the students reported they liked Englishclasses and they wanted to improve their English as much as possible. In other words,most of the students had a high determination and willingness to learn English and to bethe best in the English class. This result shows how important intrinsic motivation is tobecome an autonomous learner. According to Ushioda (2000), there is a significantrelationship between learners’ intrinsic motivation and learner autonomy. She adds thatthe interests and needs of learners and having freedom of control and choice identifyintrinsic motivation. In that sense, it could be argued in the context of this study that theparticipants had the chance to practice the features of intrinsic motivation while usingcomputers and the Internet to study English. Throughout the CALL classes the learnershad the opportunity to regulate their process of learning and to match the content of thelearning to their interests. In other words, they could control their learning processaccording to their needs. Therefore, motivating the students intrinsically provided anappropriate environment to promote autonomy. Additionally, most of the students statedthat they wanted to learn English better to get a good and well-paid job. It showed that extrinsic motivation was also important for the students.
- Furthermore, it seems that there were no significant concentration problems during thelearning process. However, most of the participants mentioned that they have test anxietyand uncomfortable feelings while speaking in the class. However, if learners learn to beself-motivated or autonomous, they can easily overcome such kind of difficulties (Ho & Crookall, 1995).
- Moreover, Little and Dam (1998) claim that autonomy focuses on attention, individualityand independence as well as collaborative work. Although some of the participantsindicated they enjoyed pair and group work, some of them indicated their enjoyment towork individually. Throughout the learning process, there were different activities to doboth individually and collaboratively for each week. However, interviews done with theparticipants show that almost all of the students stated that they enjoyed much morewhile working with friends in CALL classes. Also, they indicated that they liked to follow their process studying with computer and the Internet, individually.
- As for the active involvement, the participants see the teacher as an authority whodominates the classroom. However, the autonomous learners are expected to takeinitiative role in many aspects and decrease the dependence on the teacher in the class(Victori & Lochart, 1995). When the interviews are taken into consideration, it becomesclear that the teacher is the one who guides them and shows them the way they should follow in the learning process.
- The data regarding language learning strategy used by the participants were collected inSection 2 of the questionnaire in four dimension factors: Organizing learning, Organizingtime, Self-monitoring and self-evaluation, and supported by the interviews done with thestudents. As mentioned earlier, there has always been a correlation between languagelearning strategy use (metacognitive strategies) and learner autonomy (Wenden, 1991,Cohen, 1998). Accordingly, using language learning strategies help students develop moreactive and autonomous attitude, which enable them to take the control of their learning (Victori & Lockart, 1995).
- For self-evaluation and self-monitoring strategies, the participants seemed they wereaware of the importance of evaluating their progress and trying to find out the structuresthey do not understand, understand the reasons of their mistakes. However, fororganizing time, more than half of the participants indicated that they did not organizetheir time to make preparations for the upcoming English lessons. Nevertheless, time management is one of the significant indicators of autonomy (Ho & Crookall, 1995).
- According to Rivers (2001), use of effective language learning strategies to controllanguage-learning process and learning environment is a characteristic of autonomouslearner. In that sense, learners are expected to know what they need and they shouldhave the freedom to take action to meet their needs in order to create such a learningenvironment for them. In this study, such environment was created with the help of CALLclasses. The learners had a wide range of choices to use while studying English. They hadthe opportunities to use the language learning strategies appropriate to their learning styles.
- The data regarding responsibility perceptions were collected in Section 3 of thequestionnaire and supported by the interviews done with the participants. Takingresponsibility in the language learning process is one of the most significant elements to promote learner autonomy (Wenden, 1991).
- The results of the questionnaire showed that most of the participants saw the teacher asthe one who has more responsibility in deciding the content of the English course,choosing relevant activities and tasks, selecting the materials and time limit for eachactivity during the language learning and teaching process. On the other hand, theresults of interviews showed that the students believed in themselves while deciding howthey organize their learning process, but they emphasized their needs for a guide to showthe way that they can go on further while learning the target language. When thecharacteristics of an autonomous learner suggested by Little (1997) are taken intoconsideration, it is hard to say the participants are totally autonomous. Little (1997, p.7)states that determining the objectives, defining the contents, selecting the methods andtechniques to be used, monitoring the procedure of acquisition properly speaking(rhythm, time, place, etc.) and evaluating what has been required are the majorcomponents of learner autonomy. Ho and Crookall (1995) claim that being autonomousdoes not mean working independently, but learners should share some areas such asdecision making. Stimulating their interests, identifying their weaknesses and strengths,evaluating their learning performance, evaluating English lesson and making sure theymake progress during English lesson are the ones which require only learner’s ownresponsibility. Besides, the participants showed their willingness to share these areaswith the teacher. In addition, these five items are regarded as part of language learning strategies, which foster learner autonomy (Cotterall, 1999).
- During the study, the teacher-researcher showed the learners how to use the computersand the Internet on the behalf of learning English outside the class to promote learnerautonomy. According to the results of the study conducted by Sharp, Pocklington andWeindling (2002), outside class activities helped the learner develop their languagelearning strategies and have intrinsic motivation both of which are the significantcomponents of learner autonomy development. Accordingly, the results of this studydisplayed that as the participants willingly took part in outside class activities, they took a further step in becoming autonomous in their language learning process.
- One of the most important outcomes of educational research in the last two decades hasbeen the enhancement of the learner’s role in the language learning process as well as agrowing awareness of the need to develop the ability to learn autonomously (Gewehr,1998). Learning in the new millennium should be autonomous, active and learner-centered. Learners should be trained to exercise a high degree of autonomy in learning inorder to meet the needs of the fast changing, information-loaded world. The primary focusof learner autonomy is on the learners’ individual awareness of the learning process,which distinguishes it from a traditional classroom. In order to enhance autonomouslearning, the Curriculum Unit needs to design the course objectives and design the materials accordingly.
- Therefore, this study aimed to explore the autonomy development of the students and theeffects of CALL on promoting learner autonomy. During the study, it was aimed toincrease the students’ motivation, develop their language learning strategies, encouragethem to take responsibilities for their own learning and involve them in out-of-classactivities. All of them are accepted as the indicators of learner autonomy in the relatedliterature (Ushioda, 1996; Wenden, 1991; Little, 1991). The findings of the study showedthat integrating CALL classes into the Curriculum increased the learners’ awareness ofthe importance of learner autonomy. However, it would be better if both the instructorsand the learners were given a training to have the necessary computer skills in order to prevent the learning process from being frustrating for both sides.
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