MASARYK UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Education
Department of English Language and Literature
Development of learner autonomy in high school EFL
lessons
Bachelor thesis
Brno 2015
Supervisor:
doc. Mgr. Světlana Hanušova, Ph.D.
Written by:
Michaela Hastfkovä
Declaration
I declare that I worked on my bachelor thesis on my own and that all the information
sources I used are listed in the bibliography.
I agree with storing my thesis in the library of the Faculty of Education of Masaryk
University in order to make it available for study purposes.
In Brno, 30 March 2015
Michaela Hastikovä
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank to my supervisor doc. Mgr. Světlana Hanušova, Ph.D. for her
valuable advice and supervision. Furthermore, I appreciate the willingness and helpfulness of
the people who participated in the research and of my family who supported me in my
studies.
Annotation
The bachelor thesis "Development of learner autonomy in high School EFL lessons" deals
with the autonomy and the ways how it can be fostered in EFL lessons at current high schools.
It focuses mainly on the four aspects which are following: implementation of democratic
principles, inclusion of study skills into teaching, integration of advising principles into
teaching and finally, implementation of cooperative activities into teaching.
The thesis is divided into two main parts. The theoretical part aims to describe the concept of
autonomy and the changes in the role of the teacher in the autonomous learning environment.
Evaluation of the results is discussed in the following practical part of the thesis.
Key Words
Learner autonomy, foreign language education, English, teacher's role, language advising,
learner-centred teaching
Anotace
Bakalářská práce "Rozvoj autonomie žáků středních škol v hodinách angličtiny" se zabývá
autonomií a způsoby, jakými ji lze rozvíjet v hodinách angličtiny na současných středních
školách. Práce se zaměřuje zejména na následující čtyři aspekty: aplikování principů
demokratického vyučování, zahrnutí studijních dovedností do výuky, začlenění jazykového
poradenství do výuky a konečně zahrnutí skupinových aktivit do výuky.
Bakalářská práce je rozdělena do dvou hlavních částí. Cílem teoretické části je popsat koncept
autonomie a změny v roli učitele v rámci autonomního vyučování. V následující praktické
části jsou prezentovány a analyzovány výsledky výzkumu.
Klíčová slova
Autonomie, výuka cizího jazyka, angličtina, role učitele, jazykové poradenství, výuka
zaměřená na žáka
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 1
Introduction 2
THEORETICAL PART 4
1 Autonomy in language learning 4
1.1 Origins of the concept 4
1.2 What is autonomy 5
1.3 The reasons of demand for an autonomous learner 6
1.4 Teacher's role in fostering autonomy 7
2 Fostering autonomy in conventional classroom 8
2.1 Democratic classroom 8
2.1.1 Challenges of democratic classroom 9
2.2 Inclusion of study skills 10
2.3 Integration of advising principles into teaching 11
2.3.1 Reflection as a learning tool 12
2.3.1.1 The role of learning tools in the learning process 13
2.4 The importance of collaborative work 14
PRACTICAL PART 16
3 Research 16
3.1 Research questions 16
3.2 Research methods 18
3.2.1 Quantitative research 18
3.2.2 Qualitative research 19
3.3 Research sample 19
4 Evaluation of questionnaires and analysis of results 21
4.1 Interpretation of findings 43
Conclusion 45
Works Cited 47
Appendices 51
Appendix 1 51
Appendix 2 52
1
Introduction
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.
—Mark Van Doren
During my studies at Masaryk University I participated in the course Language
Advising in which I encountered this modern approach to language learning for the first time.
I found out how important it is to respect individual differences of each learner as they have a
significant impact on the learning process and on the results as well. Thus, I decided to
enhance the autonomy of the students whom I teach individually. I provided them with
various questionnaires and gradually introduced the learning tools, which are the typical
feature of language advising, in order to make a determination of the goal and selection of
strategies easier for them. I also started to create activities according to their preferred
learning styles and interests and encouraged the discussion regarding the methodology of the
learning process. It resulted into transformation our weekly lessons into the sessions during
which we discuss student's autonomous work done in the particular week and his successes
and plans for the following one. We talk about the problems he encountered and seek for
appropriate solutions. I feel that my job is much more meaningful as I do not only teach
English but I also raise students' awareness of how to be independent in their studying so that
they once will be self-reliant and will not need my guidance.
This experience raised my curiousness whether it would be possible to incorporate
language advising into EFL lessons within traditional high school education. It is not
necessary anymore to flood students with information to be learnt by heart. In the 21s t
century
information is available readily and at any time especially due to internet and other mass
media. As Thomas Friedman (2006) predicts, the most valuable skill that a person can have in
the age of a constant innovation is the knowledge how to learn (p. 239).
In this thesis I focus on how to merge the modern conception of an autonomous
learner, who has a voice in what is to be learnt and how and who is responsible for his
learning, into traditional teaching model. I believe that if the teacher implements appropriate
methods and tools into his teaching, it is possible to promote learner autonomy to a certain
extent within traditional environment.
This thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical part focuses on the concept of
autonomy, describes the origins of this concept and the reasons why an autonomous learner is
2
in demand in the 21s t
century. Following practical part deals with the research and presents
the obtained data.
The aim of the thesis is to find out whether the high school teachers of EFL promote
autonomy of their learners in order to equip them with what today's world requires.
In the appendices, the original form of the questionnaire can be found, along with the
transcription of the recording of the interview with the teacher.
3
THEORETICAL PART
1 Autonomy in language learning
In the last twenty years the pedagogical research has revolved around the question how
to make language learners more autonomous in their learning. The change of perspective shed
light on acquisition of second language from the perspective of a learner. It is assumed that
the major progress cannot be achieved without an active participation of learners in the
learning process. So instead of being schooled passively, they become the ones who initiate
learning. The main aim is to make learners "more aware of and responsible for their own
learning and their role in its successes and failures" (Kjisik, Karlsson & von Boehm, 2012, p.
29).
Such shift of control from a teacher to a learner resulted into a dispute among
educators. The objectors see an autonomous learner as a Utopian concept which can be hardly
achieved whereas the proponents consider autonomy a goal of language education (Benson,
2001, p. 1).
1.1 Origins of the concept
The idea of autonomy is not a modern-age invention, it has actually been existing for a
long time. We can come across the definitions of autonomous learning already in the 18th
century. For example Rousseau describes a learner as someone who "is obedient to a law that
he prescribes to himself (Candy, 1991, p. 102). Or Thomson (1996) argues that autonomy is
natural as we direct our learning while embracing our mother tongue but this capacity is
supressed by the institution of the school (in Benson, 2001, p. 59).
The origins of autonomous learning are connected with distance learning as more
people, especially adults, are interested in tertiary education. In order to meet needs of such
a heterogeneous group of learners, it was necessary to adjust the focus from teachers to
learners. In comparison to the traditional concept, the teacher and the learner are now partners
in learning.
During 1970's we can encounter the term "autonomous learner" for the first time. The
concept sources from various fields, such as language pedagogy, adult education and the
4
psychology of learning. The origin dates back to 1981 when the ideas of autonomy in
language learning first appeared in Henri Holec's project report to the Council of Europe in
which he described its social and ideological context. As a result, Yves Chalon founded the
Centre de Recherches et d'Applications en Languages (CRAPEL) at the University of Nancy
in France, which became a centre of research and practice in this field. Due to his early death,
his function was taken over by Holec who has remained one of the main specialists in this
field until today (Benson, 2001, p. 8).
The main aim of the centre was to make lifelong learning available for adults as adult
self-directed learning was becoming increasingly popular. CRAPEL provided support and
opportunities for self-directed learning and autonomy was expected to be a desirable outcome.
Owing to success of various similar projects concerning autonomy, the concept became the
subject of research and practice within the field of language education (Benson, 2001, p. 8).
1.2 What is learner autonomy
It is rather challenging to provide a perfect definition of autonomy as each specialist in
the field perceives it differently and in a rather subjective way. Nevertheless, most definitions
are based on the one of Holec, the "father of autonomy", who describes it as "the ability to
take charge of one's learning" (Holec, 1981, p. 3, in Benson & Voller, 1997, p. 1). Most
definitions agree on the change of perspective and no longer see the learner as an object of
learning but the subject. Marina Mozzon-McPherson (2001) also emphasises that
a completely autonomous learner must gain control not only over the content of learning but
over the processes as well (p. 9).
The teacher is from now on not described as the initiator of action but the one who
facilitates it. It is based on the premise that people are intrinsically interested in the
surrounding world and naturally incline to explore it. However, it is important to note that
autonomy is not a "static product" (Candlin, 2012, p. 12) but rather a long term process. Thus,
it is not possible to become autonomous but rather work towards autonomy.
Han (2014) suggests there are various ways and degrees of learning by oneself:
* self-instruction refers to "learning without a teacher" (Little, 1991, p. 3) or as
Dickinson (1987) puts it "learning without a direct control of a teacher" (p. 5)
5
* self-direction is described by Holec (1981) as "the process or the techniques used in
directing one's own learning" (p. 14)
* self-access refers to "learning from materials and facilities that are organized to
facilitate learning; self-instruction in using these materials" (Dickinson, 1987, p. 11)
* distance learning which is closely connected with online learning and cyber-schools
* out-of-class learning refer to the efforts of learners taking classroom-based
language courses to find opportunities for language learning and use outside class
(Benson, 2006)
1.3 The reasons ofdemandfor an autonomous learner
The reason why autonomy is called for in the 21t h
century is because this approach to
learning is much more suitable for the requirements of a modern age. On account of growth of
technology and information explosion, there are more learning materials. However, the
quantity of sources compromises their quality in a significant way. Another reason is that
more people are required to have a tertiary level of education but because their needs and
skills differ, it is not possible to create materials and activities that would suit them all.
Therefore, autonomous learning is seen as a suitable alternative to traditional education. As a
consequence, self-access centres have been established in order to provide learning support
and enable learners to make informed choices about their learning.
In recent years, autonomous learning has no longer been associated with distance adult
learning exclusively. The development of autonomy has now become "an educational goal in
modern languages education, not only at college and university level, but also a life goal for
language learners" (Han, 2014). Mynard & Carson (2012) explain that "promoting learner
autonomy in students as part of language instruction has now become mainstream,
particularly in higher education, for three main reasons: ideological, psychological and
economic" (p. 13). Ideological reasons represent the educational freedom which is supressed
even though we live in a democratic society. Psychological reasons are based on the premise
that learning is more efficient when individual needs of learners are met and the differences
are taken into account. Economic factors are related to the belief that in the time of constant
innovation it is indispensable to know how to learn independently.
6
1.4 Teacher's role infostering autonomy
It is important to note that autonomous learning does not mean learning without a
teacher. As Benson (2001) explains "autonomy implies systematic and effective control over
learning" (p. 75). In order to enable learners to take control of their own learning, the roles of
both the teacher and the learners need to be adjusted. It is necessary to make such changes
gradually and take into consideration how much responsibility the learners are used to (Lowes
& Target, 1999).
In a traditional classroom, all decisions are made by the teacher who is perceived as
the purveyor of knowledge and a leading figure in the learning process. The class is taken as a
homogenous unit which is instructed, guided and evaluated by the teacher only. The syllabus
is usually textbook-based, focusing on memorization and deductive instruction.
On the contrary, in a learner-centred classroom, the learners "have to construct their
grammatical knowledge themselves" (Legenhausen, 2000, p. 45). The lessons are designed to
meet needs and differences of each learner and to suit their learning styles. Therefore, the role
of the teacher changes from the director of learning to following three roles:
* facilitator who initiates and supports decision-making process
* counsellor who responds to the ongoing needs of individuals
* source who makes his knowledge and expertise available to the learners when it is
needed (Han, 2014)
It is also possible to characterise the teacher's role as a partner in learning as he partly
surrenders his authority in order to become a participant in the learning process as well.
Teacher's responsibility in fostering autonomy is also to inform learners about the choices
and to ensure that they choose appropriately. However, Benson (2001) points out that "in
principle, any practice that encourages and enables learners to take greater control of any
aspect of their learning can be considered a means of promoting autonomy" (p. 109).
Another way how independent work can be facilitated is by providing learners with
appropriate tools and materials. Learning tools, which are typical feature of language
advising, are discussed in the following chapter (2.3.1.1). It is not enough to equip learners
with knowledge of various strategies, they also need to be provided with opportunities to
experiment with them in order to find what fits them and what is suitable for various
purposes. As learners choose activities according to their personal learning goals, which they
7
set for themselves, they are intensely motivated and feel the control and responsibility for
their own learning. Praising gives learners fresh energy and motivation to continue in
learning.
Motivation is another important feature of fostering learner autonomy. There are two
types of motivation. External motivation sources from surrounding factors to the learner, such
as the teacher, parents or good grades. This kind of motivation is typical for traditional
education. It is more important to seek internal motivation for learning during the
development of an autonomous learner as it depends solely on the learner himself. Intrinsic
motivation is harder to find but it is the responsibility of the teacher to know his learners, their
reasons for learning English and take advantage of it. Motivation provides a powerful drive
for students and makes learning more effective and successful (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
2 Fostering autonomy in a conventional classroom
After a profound study of available materials and resources concerning the matter of
autonomy in language teaching, I decided to focus on four aspects which I consider crucial in
the process of promotion of autonomy within conventional EFL classroom. The aspects are
following: implementing of democratic principles (Morrison, 2008), (Benson, 2001),
inclusion study skills into teaching (Kohonen, 1992), (Benson, 2001), integrating advising
principles into teaching (Mynard & Carson, 2012), (Mozzon-McPherson, 2001) and
implementing cooperative activities into teaching (Little, 1996), (Little & Dam, 1998).
2.1 Democratic classroom
One way to promote autonomy is to enact some democratic-oriented practices within
teaching. Freedom-based education is not a modern-age invention, it has already occurred in
Romantic era represented by thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau or Friedrich Frobel. For
example Rousseau comments on the teaching process that "our pedantic mania for instruction
is always leading us to teach children the things they would learn better of their own accord"
(Benson, 2001, p. 1).
Democratic education is based on the idea that "people are naturally curious and have
8
an innate desire to learn and grow...and conventional education practices often result in the
diminishment of these innate characteristics" (Morrison, 2008, p. 52).
In practice, democratic education means that the teacher allows students to choose
what they study and how they study it. This approach of teaching respects individual learning
styles of learners and also provides them with opportunities to experience autonomy.
"Proponents of democratic education argue that with autonomy and choice, people experience
a much different, better, form of education than that offered by the conventional, hierarchical
education system present in most schools" (Morrison, 2008, p. 55). The researchers assume
that when students are free to choose to study according to what they are interested in, they
are more engaged in the process, learning is more meaningful and they usually have better
results. Another benefit of giving students a voice in the content of the course is that during
this process, students encounter opposite point of views so they learn to listen and reach a
compromise by discussion with others.
Changes towards democratic education must be done gradually. The teacher may start
with small-scale changes such as self-assessment or creation of a grading rubric. He may offer
learners to participate on construction of the course or to do the assignments and writing tests
according to their own learning style.
2.7.7 Challenges of democratic education
Due to the fact that most schools in the Czech Republic are rather conventional,
bringing freedom-based practices involves a great deal of obstacles to be overcome. It is
rather unusual for students to be asked what they want to study so at first the teachers may
encounter with the refusal to cooperate. Nowadays most students are used to being instructed
by the teacher and do the task only in order to get a good grade. Therefore, it is
understandable that learners may feel discomfort to bear such responsibility.
However, it does not have to be solely students who are resentful of a change. We need
to bear in mind that a recent generation of teachers probably was not subjected to
freedom-based teaching either so such different philosophy of education is a huge step into
unexplored for them. As Morrison (2008) explains, the teachers "must be willing to abandon
plans and move with dialogic process, they must learn to listen more than talk, to not let one
lesson plan apply to all sections of the same class" (p. 55). However, teachers argue that
9
giving students the power to influence the course would have negative consequences such as
absence of learning or anarchy in the classroom.
Regardless, Rogers (1969) claims that "if I [the teacher] trust the capacity of the
human individual for developing his own potentiality, then I [the teacher] can provide him
with many opportunities and permit him to choose his own way and his own direction in his
learning" (p. 114). Therefore, teachers should have more confidence in students and enable
them rise to the challenge because most learners are curious and naturally interested in the
world around them. Children like to explore and learn. The apathy and disgust that teachers
experience most likely source from not knowing the purpose behind what they study. What is
more, learning has rather been oriented on extrinsic motivators nowadays (e.g. good grades).
Finally, there are also institutional challenges as the structure of conventional
education does not support the endorsement of democratic practices. Learning is rather
perceived as "transmission of information from holders of knowledge/teachers to empty
vessels/students" (Morrison, 2008, p. 59).
2.2 Inclusion of study skills
In the previous chapter it was explained how important it is to make students involved
in the learning process as regards the negotiation of content. This chapter deals with inclusion
in relation to informing students about how the language is learnt. Kohonen (1992) considers
"raising the awareness of one's own learning and gaining an understanding of the processes
involved in thus an important key to the development of a learning" (p. 24).
Providing that autonomy means being able to make informed choices about learning, it
is therefore necessary for learners to know what they learnt, how they learnt it and why. As
Benson (2001) explains, the knowledge "how to learn languages is inseparable from the
process of learning languages" (p. 98). Firstly, knowing the purpose of the task serves as a
motivational factor; motivation is further dealt with in the previous chapter 1.4. Secondly,
learners may profit from the methodology knowledge while studying outside the classroom as
they will know how to approach various tasks by themselves. According to Mynard (2012)
the role of the teacher in this regard is to "encourage learners to think more deeply in order to
increase their understanding, such as asking learner to talk about a learning activity step by
step so as to provide the learner with an opportunity for introspective analysis" (p. 29).
10
2.3 Integration of advising principles into teaching
Another important aspect in the promotion of learner autonomy is to ensure that his
learning is as effective as possible. To achieve this, the teacher should partly possess the skills
of a language adviser in order to provide individual students with an appropriate advice on
their learning.
It is necessary to distinguish two forms of language advising. The language adviser
can be either a separate profession realised independently in the form of help desk or
self-access centre. Or the language teacher himself can operate as an advisor within the
environment of a language classroom. This subchapter deals with the latter.
According to Mynard & Carson (2012) advising is "helping students to direct their
own paths so as to become more effective and more autonomous language learners" (p. 4). In
order to enable students to "direct their own paths", it is necessary for the teacher to know his
students well. This means being aware of their learning history, personal background,
previous experience with English, their individual needs, learning styles, expectations of the
lessons, etc. Providing that the teacher is conscious about all that, he is able to give
appropriate advice and guide their learning in a non-directive way. Bond (2000) describes
guidance as "pointing out different possible routes and helping someone to select their own
destination and way of getting there" (p. 26). Stickler (2001) assumes that the less directive
the teacher is, the more autonomy is provided to the learner. Therefore the teacher should allow
learners to experiment and play with the language so that the learning is natural and selfdirected.
However, this does not imply that the teacher becomes redundant. As Benson and
Voller (1997) point out "autonomous learning is by no means teacher-less learning" (p. 63).
Even though the process of self-discovery is highly emphasised, teacher's facilitation is
indispensable. Mynard & Carson (2012) explain that the teacher "has a wealth of experience
related to resources, activities and strategies that could be of great benefit to the learners"
(p. 9). Thus, it is up to the teacher to vary the degree of directivity according to given
circumstances. "Through a combination of non-directive and appropriately introduced
directive interventions, a learner can be supported in their autonomous learning endeavours"
(Mynard & Carson, 2012, p.9). The role of the teacher is to create suitable environment to
practise the language during which he assists learners in determination of objectives and
selection of appropriate methods. He also monitors their work and provides ongoing
11
feedback. The dialogue plays a key role in this process; it is described in more detail in the
following subchapter 2.3.1.1.
It is also crucial to provide the students with opportunities to explore their strengths
and weaknesses in various areas of English and encourage them to assess themselves. This
way the teacher not only raises their awareness about themselves as learners but also helps
them to stablish their learning goal. With assistance of the teacher operating as a counsellor,
the student determines strategies which suit his individual learning style and which are
appropriate for this particular goal. This approach is not that common in high school
classroom nowadays but as Benson (2001) points out, "since learners are different, they
should be allowed the freedom to learn in the ways that suit them best" (p. 68). Reinders
(2012) adds that incorporation of advising principles into current education could serve as a
bridge between traditional and modern model of language teaching (p. 180).
Nevertheless, it would be fair to mention that language teachers are limited by several
constrains. It is understandable that not much space is left to make learning fully
individualised. "It may be possible to promote autonomy and address individualised learning
needs to a certain extent, but this will usually be while operating within the constraints of a
curriculum. There may also be other limitations due to size, institutional factors, or an
emphasis on examinations" (Mynard & Carson, 2012, p. 14).
2.3.1 Reflection as a learning tool
Another crucial component of autonomous learning is the reflection on the process.
Firstly, it is valuable for learners to think about learning - what they learnt, how they learnt it
and why, and evaluate the outcome. This way their awareness of how the language is learnt is
gradually raised while their dependency on the teacher decreases. Wenden (1998) adds that
"without awareness learners will remain trapped in their old patterns of believes and
behaviours and never be fully autonomous" (p. 90). Secondly, by putting one's experiences
into words the learner comments on newly gained knowledge which makes learning much
more meaningful. Therefore, it is another very important role of the teacher to equip learners
with the ability to assess themselves and to initiate such reflection. Dam (1995) explains that
evaluation is closely connected with the development of learner autonomy. On one hand, the
function of reflection is "to ensure that work undertaken is discussed and revised, and on the
12
other to establish a basis of experience and awareness that can be used in planning further
learning" (p. 49).
It is important to incorporate reflection into teaching in order to show the students that
grades given by the teacher does not have to be the only source of evaluation. In order to
make learning more active and experiential, it is possible to let students give feedback
mutually. Benson (2001) claims that "conscious reflection on learning experiences and the
sharing of such reflections with other learners in cooperative groups makes it possible to
increase one's awareness of learning" (p. 94). Last but not least, the students may evaluate
themselves. "Several researchers have identified the capacity to reflect on one's own learning
processes as a key psychological component of autonomy" (Benson, 2001, p. 204). To
enhance self-reflection and make it easier for learners, the teacher may exploit various
learning tools.
2.3.1.1 The role of learning tools in the learning process
There are various tools which the teacher may use in order to facilitate learning
process. Yamaguchi (2012) describes as the main role of tools the possibility for learners to
gain a deep insight into learning as the tools are "designed to stimulate the cognitive and
metacognitive processes" (p. 117). Tools aim to make planning and evaluating the learning
process easier for students and to help them figure out the solutions if they identify a problem.
However, Mynard & Carson (2012) points out that "the purpose is not necessarily to manage
a problem but to facilitate development" (p. 18).
Tools may be of various character. There are tools which are in the form of activities,
such as a needs analysis, a learning plan, a progress chart, a motivation graph, etc. They are
designed mainly to simplify the process as they depict learning in a graphical way. In this
thesis, the author is going to focus on the tools which based on spoken and written reflection,
namely the reflective dialogue and reflective journal.
Dialogue is considered "the key component and central tool" in the learning process
(Mynard, 2012, p. 32). It is based on mutual interaction, either between the teacher and the
learner or between learners themselves. As it was mentioned in the first chapter of this thesis
(1.4) autonomy can not be reached in isolation because "becoming autonomous is both a
social and individual process" (Mozzon-McPherson, 2012, p. 44). The purpose of a dialogue
is to provide "the optimal opportunity for learner reflection and discovery" (Iijima, Tsujita &
13
Wakabayashi, 2012, p. 46). The role of the teacher is to direct the discussion toward
meaningful content and make use of the appropriate tools.
Self-reflection can be realised also in the written form by reflective journals. Journals
are used as a documentation of students' activities that take place either in the classroom or
outside of it. Learners take notes about what they do, which strategies they use and why and
reflect on the final product. This way they explore the link between their goal and the methods
they employ, and comment on it. Written reflections enable to use target language in a
creative and natural way. Because this process is repeated on a regular basis, students start to
think about their learning and become less dependent on the teacher's guidance, instruction
and evaluation. However, teacher's feedback is still important. The teacher responds on
learners' entries with appropriate feedback and redirect them if needed (Dam, 1998).
Journal also serves as an instrument for communication between the learners and the
teacher, therefore it plays very important role in their relationship. Reading students' entries is
a great opportunity to get to know them better and communicate with them on an individual
level. This way of communication ensures all voices to be heard, even the ones of students
who may not participate in the class discussions. Journals supply the teacher with valuable
information about with what particular student struggles and how he tackles the problems so
the teacher can provide him with scaffolding and monitor whether he is successful. This
information is valuable for the learner as well and serves as motivation in learning.
2.4 The importance of collaborative work
Another crucial element in the development of an autonomous learner is
implementation of collaborative tasks. As Little (1996) points out "collaboration is essential
to the development of autonomy as a psychological capacity" (p. 210). According to
Krashen (1982) "foreign language acquisition proceeds best through naturalistic learning" and
group work activities provide both social interaction and authentic use of language (p. 64).
During the collaboration learners encounter various learning strategies so they actually learn
from one another and provide support within their group. This enables the teacher to operate
rather as a facilitator of several small groups/learning centres which makes learners less
dependent. Teacher's role during the group activities is mainly to monitor the process and
intervene only if needed.
14
During group work the classroom becomes a learning community and the target
language is one of the principal tools with which the collaborative process is shaped (Little &
Dam, 1998). The interaction between all participants (learner-teacher, learner-learner) is more
meaningful and of more natural character in comparison with common speaking activities
found in the course books (Little, 2000).
Another advantage of the cooperative activities is that they are beneficial for learners
of various language proficiency. During group work the differences between students with
high- and low-abilities are less apparent. Cooperation also allows apt students to provide
weaker ones with scaffolding so the different level of English does no longer segregate
learners but brings them together (Lacey, 2007).
The topic of activities should be relevant, of appropriate level and cater to individual
learner's needs and interests. This can be achieved by inclusion of learners into the learning
process in the form of negotiation of the topic. Students' participation is going to increase
their responsibility for learning. A wide range of activities can be generated by a single topic.
Students may choose how they will approach the task according to their personal learning
goal, which was set individually at the beginning of a term, or simply according to their
interests. This means that a single activity will eventually result into differentiated
processes as well as differentiated products. The outcome of the activity can be then further
used as an authentic material for the rest of the class or displayed in the classroom as a
learning tool (Thomsen, 2000).
As the main purpose of cooperative activities is to make learning environment more
centred on learners and it is assumed that they will participate in assessment as well. Students
present their work, evaluate themselves and finally they ask their peers for their opinion. This
is particularly useful because students are not only trained to express their thoughts and ideas
in the target language but they also think about the learning process itself - what was the
purpose of the activity, which strategy was used and how well it was managed in general.
Weaker or less experienced students may attempt to evaluate themselves on a scale 1-10,
more advanced ones may write a descriptive reflection into their journals. The teacher gives
feedback during the activity, comments on the final product and then he provides learners
with more personal and specific guidance through journals. Journals are discussed in more
detail in the subchapter 2.3.1.1. (Dam, 2000).
15
PRACTICAL PART
3 Research
The practical part of the thesis is dedicated to the research. The aim of the research is to
find out whether high school teachers of English promote autonomy during their lessons.
Firstly, the research questions and their aim are formulated. Secondly, the research methods
are described. Thirdly, the research sample is presented. And finally, the data are evaluated
and analysed.
3.1 Research questions
Four aspects, which play a key role in promotion of autonomy in EFL classroom and
which were discussed in detail in the theoretical part of this thesis, serve as the basis upon
which four research questions were formulated. With each question, there are two to four
items which test the particular aspect in the questionnaire.
Does the teacher include learners into the learning process?
• Teacher is interested in what I would like to learn in our English lessons.
• Teacher often offers several activities from which I can choose.
• I have more interest in English now than before due to my teacher.
This group of items seeks to find out whether the teacher implements democratic
principles into her teaching and whether she respects the individual differences, preferences
and interests of learners.
Does the teacher give advice on learning and raise overall learning awareness?
• Teacher gives me advice on which activities to choose when I want more
practice and where I can find them.
• Teacher gives me advice on how to learn.
• Teacher helped me find out my strengths and weaknesses in English.
• As my teacher suggested, I have a journal (or similar) in which I keep track of
16
what I've learned, I assess myself and plan my future learning.
This group of items seeks to find out whether the teacher approaches learners on an
individual level and raises their learning awareness by implementing self-assessment tasks
into the lessons. Another aim is to find out whether the teacher gives learners advice on
selection of activities, how to choose them and where to find them. One item is also dedicated
to out-of-class learning. It seeks to find out if the students use a journal, or a similar tool, for
planning and evaluating their learning.
Does the teacher use a dialogue as a learning tool?
• Teacher often gives me questions which lead me to correct answer.
• Teacher appreciates when I ask him additional questions.
• We often have a group discussion with our teacher.
This group of items seeks to find out whether the teacher implements non-directive
approach and uses a dialogue as a learning tool, which is a typical feature of language
advising.
Does the teacher implement group work and presentations into teaching?
• During our lessons of English, we often work in groups in which we do the
assigned task.
• When we finish the group assignment we usually present it to our classmates.
This group of items seeks to find out whether the teacher implements cooperative
activities into her teaching to facilitate learning through interaction of learners. Another aim is
to find out if students are given opportunities to present the tasks to their peers in order to
practice and improve their presentation skills in the safe environment.
17
3.2 Research methods
3.2.1 Quantitative research
The first method used in this study is a survey questionnaire. This technique was
chosen because it enables respondents to stay anonymous and it is least time-consuming for
both, the respondents and the pollster. This method of collection data also suits best for the
aim of this research, therefore having a diverse sample with many respondents seems more
appropriate than interviewing fewer students and researching them in detail.
The format of the questionnaires is rather small (A5) as I wanted them to be short,
simple and easy to complete. For the same reason I decided to present the questionnaires in
person, during my teaching practice, rather than having them filled in anonymously or on the
internet. This way of distribution also ensured a response rate of 100%.
The questionnaire consists of 12 items which are organized in a chart. Respondents
answered on the five-point Likert Scale as follows: Strongly agree, Agree, Undecided,
Disagree, Strongly disagree. The fact that response options were ordered made the data easier
to evaluate and provided high validity. The items are further discussed in more detail in the
previous subchapter (3.1).
The questionnaires are in the respondents' native language. I did not want English
language proficiency of respondents to limit the comprehensibility of items as it could
negatively influence the research. When I created the final version of the questionnaire, I had
it completed by my younger sister who is a high school student of English. I tested whether
the form and the content of all items was comprehensible to a person of targeted age. No
ambiguity was revealed. The questionnaire can be found in Appendix 1.
The quantitative part of research was carried out during my teaching practice at
Střední škola umění a designu, stylu a módy in Brno at the beginning of November 2014.
Before the questionnaires were distributed I introduced myself, explained the reason and aim
of my study and asked students for participation. I reassured them that the respondents will
stay anonymous and the collected data will not influence their grades in any way. Then I
described the questionnaire and explained how to complete it. Students were welcome to ask
additional questions if they came across any sort of problem during completion.
18
3.2.2 Qualitative research
After evaluation and analysis of data collected from the questionnaires, some of the
results seemed to be ambiguous or unexpected. Therefore I decided to carry out additional
qualitative research in the form of a semi-structured interview with the teacher.
The aim of the interview was to validate the data and to seek teacher's point of view
on the results of the questionnaires. The teacher was interviewed in March 2015. I did not
provide her with any results or data in order to get as objective answers as possible. The
transcript of the interview can be found in Appendix 2. The questions were following:
• Do you seek students' opinion on what they would like to learn in the lessons?
• Do you sometimes let students choose from several activities according to their
interests during the lesson?
• Do you give advice on which activities students should choose when they need more
practice and where they can find them?
• Do you consider your support in learning balanced between all four study groups?
• Do you implement activities during which would students find out their strengths and
weaknesses in the individual language areas?
• Do you recommend your students to use a tool, for example a journal, to plan and
self-reflect on their learning?
• In which study group do you find teaching most enjoyable?
• Do you ask a lot of questions during teaching?
• Do you organise the students to work in groups?
• Do the groups present their assignments in front of others?
3.3 Research sample
The size of the sample is 50 students who all attend the same high school; Střední
škola umění a designu, stylu a módy in Brno. All respondents are taught by the same English
teacher who teaches all participating study groups three lessons a week. She studied English
and Czech Studies at the Faculty of Arts in Brno and then she spent five years teaching at
various language schools. She has been teaching at SSUD since 2007.
19
There are 10 to 15 students in each study group, their age ranges from 16 to 18 years.
The respondents are second-, third- and fourth-year students. It was more beneficial for the
aim of this study to have a diverse sample as far as the age of respondents is concerned. The
first-year students were not asked to participate as the research was carried out at the
beginning of school year. It is assumed that their experience with the English teacher would
not be sufficient to have an objective opinion which could influence the research in a negative
way.
20
4 Evaluation of questionnaires and analysis of results
The data was evaluated manually and transferred into graphs. Each item is analysed in
two ways. Pie graphs, named A, visualise the answers of 50 respondents on the Likert Scale.
Bar graphs, named B, show the percentage of the respondents who selected the options
Strongly Agree and Agree in different study groups. The percentage of these two points of the
scale are added up in order to make the results more demonstrative as bar graphs aim to
compare and contrast individual groups. Finally, the results of the questionnaires and the
semi-structured interview with the teacher are combined and the conclusions are drawn.
"Teacher is interested in what I would like to learn in our English lessons."
,A
G r a p h Ai: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h Bi: Respondents who selected
the options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher promotes democracy in the
classroom and lets students participate in the decision-making process regarding the content
of lessons. Only 10% of respondents strongly agree and 16% agree with the item. Such low
numbers indicate that students are not much included into the learning process and they rather
study according to the pre-arranged tasks. We might only speculate why 26% selected the
option Undecided. 32% disagree and 16% strongly disagree that the teacher is interested in
what they would like to learn.
21
The study group in which the content of lessons is most often negotiated is 4.A.
Considering the fact that half of the group agrees, we might assume that the teacher
occasionally discusses what will be studied with the students.
The teacher confirms that she used to seek students' opinion on what they would like
to learn in the lessons but she does not do it anymore. "I experimented with including children
but it didn't turn out to be as useful as I thought. They usually don't know what they want to
learn." She provided me with information similar to what Morrison (2008) describes as the
most common argumentation of teachers who attempt to promote democracy in their class for
the first time. "They [the teachers] argue that students don't know what they don't know and
thus could not possibly exercise choice and freedom in curricular content" (Morrison, 2008, p.
57).
She also mentioned that she practised it only in certain study groups. "I asked children
what they wanted to study only in the groups in which I wasn't behind with the syllabus and
in the better groups in which I was sure that if we do something extra, what students want, it
will be productive and I still will be able to finish what is set."
To sum up, the teacher is aware of democratic practices and the positive impact it may
have on learners, yet giving voice to students did not turn out to be useful because they did
not manage to articulate their opinions. She practised it only the advanced groups, 2.A and
2.B, C, in which the speed is steady regardless the type of the activity so it is not stressful to
do something extra. However, the results of the questionnaires show that the study group in
which most people consider the teacher interested in what they would like to learn is 4.A, the
least advanced group. In this group the teacher claims to promote the smallest amount of
democracy. The results of other study groups correspond with what the teacher states in the
interview.
22
"Teacher often offers several activitiesfrom which I can choose."
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher includes learners into the
learning process and allows them to select materials according their needs, preferences and
interests. Although the question seeks to find out a fact, the results are very diverse. 15% of
respondents strongly agree, 22% agree, 30% are undecided, 31% disagree and 2% strongly
disagree with the item.
The teacher states that she does not let individual students choose activities but the
study group votes which activity they prefer. "I am afraid that if each student could choose
what he wants to study, it would result into chaos." Another reason why students have to
conform to the majority is the time constraint of a 45-minute lesson. "The more variety I
provide, the more time I spend with checking-up." She also adds that once she does not some
students, they might lose motivation to do the task next time.
The teacher confirms that the study groups in which she provides most options to
participate on decision-making regarding the content of the lessons are second grades. "In 2.A
and 2.B, C I can afford not to stick to a pre-set syllabus because I know we will be able to
manage." The option to choose the activities is also given to the students who work faster than
others. "The pace in which students work differs. Those who finish first can decide
themselves what they are going to do in the meantime."
To sum up, both the results of the questionnaires and the interview prove that students
participate on the selection of materials to a certain extent. However, the selection is done
23
collectively, not individually, and only in advanced study groups due to time constraints of a
lessons. This corresponds with the students' answers - in the second grades the positive
answers ranks from 33% to 46%. In the less advanced 3.B it is 33% and in the least advanced
4.A it is only 10%.
24
"/ have more interest in English now than before due to my teacher."
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher's personality motivates
learners to learn English. 7% of respondents strongly agree and 21% agree that they have
more interest in English now than in the past due to their current teacher. 6% of respondents
strongly disagree and 38% disagree that their relationship to English has improved. There
might be several reasons why it is so. The teacher might not provide enough encouragement
and motivation to learn English or, as the results of previous questions confirm, students'
interests and learning preferences are not taken into consideration so the content of the lesson
may not be attractive for them. Teacher also may subconsciously prefer a particular study
group in which she finds teaching easier, so it is possible that her relationship with groups
differs. Graph B3 demonstrates that most students, whose relationship to English changed
thanks to the teacher, is in 3.B and 2.B, C in which the percentage ranks from 40% to 42%.
The teacher states that the study groups in which she finds teaching most enjoyable are
second grades because they are the easiest to work with. "They are intrinsically motivated,
they like English because they are good at it. When I bring something new they don't criticise
it like other groups, they enjoy learning new things." Another reason is that those study
groups tend to share the responsibility for learning. "When they get a bad grade they are able
to admit that it's not just my fault." She describes the relationship as more open in general in
comparison to other groups. "We get on really well so I have a tendency to talk more about
myself therefore they are willing to be more personal as well; I can feel the bond of trust."
25
To sum up, the results revealed that the mutual relationship between the teacher and
the students has a significant influence on students' relationship to English. The study groups
in which the teacher enjoys teaching the most, consists of the students who are more
interested in English than before due to the teacher. On the contrary, in the 4.A where the
teacher finds teaching most difficult only 20% of respondents agreed that their relationship to
English would get better in any way.
26
"Teacher gives me advice on which activities to choose when I want mo
practice and where I canfind them."
Strongly disagree • 2.A «2.B,C 3.B «4.A
G r a p h A 4 : Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h B4: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher suggests appropriate
resources when students want more practice. 20% of respondents strongly agree and 35%
agree with this item. Even though I wanted to research whether the teacher provides
individualised support, the results are not demonstrative enough to make such a conclusion.
The question does not state clearly whether the advice is intended for an individual learner. It
is possible that teacher suggests further practice to the whole study group and a student relates
to it as an advice for him. This might explain 21% of respondents who chose the option
Undecided.
The teacher confirms that her support is not individualised. "During the lesson I give
advice to the whole study group, not to the individuals." She provides both online and copied
materials. "I usually mention once again where the thing is explained in the course book and
then I show the web pages where they can practise and take a test. Students prefer online
exercises although I bring extra copied materials for those who want them." In every language
classroom there is also a list of useful and interesting links on a display to which the students
are referred to. "I've showed them how to use the pages once and after some time they got
used to practising there autonomously, especially before the test."
Graph B 4 indicates that the study group in which the teacher helps most with the
27
choice of materials is 2.A which might be caused by the fact that these students need most
support and further practice after the transfer to high school. Except for 2.B, C, which
somehow does not fit, we can see that the study groups gradually require less support in
selection of materials which could mean that each year students' learning awareness is raised
and they become more independent in their learning.
To sum up, the teacher does not provide learners with advice individually but she
rather gives universal tips to the whole study group. However, she promotes learner autonomy
to a certain extent by providing the group with various sources where they can practise for the
next lesson or for the test. The responsibility to choose appropriately is left up to learners as
well as the entire initiative to access the information at all. This proves the assumption that
due to sharing teacher's responsibility with the learners, they get more autonomous in their
learning and require less advice on which activities to choose with each grade.
28
"The teacher givesme advice on how to learn.
Disagree S t r o n
g'V
disagree
• 2.A B2.B,C 3.B B4.A
Undecided
24%
Agree
50%
G r a p h As: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h Bs: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
In comparison with the previous item, the aim of this item was to investigate whether
the teacher gives advice on learning in general. 18% respondents strongly agree and 50%
agree with the item. The results confirm that the teacher realises support in learning, however
it can not be concluded whether it is or not individualised support. Similar as in the previous
item, concerning advising on choice of materials, the advice may be addressed to the whole
study group, not to individual learners. Therefore it is not possible to distinguish in how many
cases it was truly individualised support. This assumption might explain rather high
percentage of students (24%) who chose the option Undecided. 8% selected Disagree.
The teacher confirms that her support is not individualised. "I don't give students
individual advice during the lesson. When I notice that someone repeatedly struggles in some
area, I rather talk to him after class and offer to bring some extra materials or my help in
general." As the most useful aspect of approaching the learner outside the classroom the
teacher names the privacy of a friendly-like dialogue. "Most importantly I show that I care
and that I've noticed the problem. My attention gives the student an emotional stimulus but it
also obliges him to work harder because he knows he is overseen."
Graph B5 demonstrates that teacher's support is fairly strong in the first three grades,
ranking from 69% to 83%, and then it drops dramatically to 40% in 4.A. It could mean that
the teacher promotes most autonomy in the group which is in the final year of their studies
and does not direct their learning as much as before which might be perceived by students as
29
lack of advising on learning. Unless the teacher has a problematic relationship with 4.A, there
seems to be no other obvious reason why she would give advice in all study groups except for
one. The teacher states that students who need extra help are in every group but most of them
are in the less advanced groups; 3.B and 4.A, which only partly corresponds with the results
of the questionnaires. It is interesting to note that students of 4.A feel least supported in spite
of being the weakest group. On the contrary, the second grades which claim to receive the
most advice on how to learn are the most advanced groups. This again may be caused by the
better relationship of the teacher with the second graders. As she finds teaching these study
groups most enjoyable, the relationship is more open which is a key factor in both asking for
and accepting advice.
To sum up, the item is not stated clearly enough to be interpreted by respondents as
individualised support. Nevertheless, the teacher confirms that she does not give advice to the
individual students. She explains why she deals with students individually only after the
lesson. The percentage of respondents who agree to receive advice on how to learn naturally
differs in each group as each one consists of students who need more support than others. The
study group which seems to stand out is 3.B (82%), however the teacher does not think that
one particular group would prevail in this matter.
30
"Teacher helped mefind out my strengths and weaknesses in English."
Undecide
d
14%
Disagree Strongly
disagree
Strongly
agree
20%
• 2.A B2.B,C 3.B B4.A
Agree
56%
G r a p h A 6 : Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h B 6 : Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher provides learners with
opportunities to assess their abilities in English. Considering the fact that 20% of respondents
strongly agree and 56% agree with the item, it is assumed that the teacher implements
activities which help students to explore their strengths and weaknesses in English. 14% of
respondents chose the option Undecided and 10% selected Disagree.
The teacher states that students do not receive any other assessment except for her
summative feedback in the form of grades. "Well, they know how well they did according to
how many mistakes they made." The teacher also adds that "in less cooperative groups and in
the groups which are in the final year of their studies we also provide mock Maturita exam as
a motivational tool. The aim is to make children realise the areas they need to improve the
most." As the graph B6 illustrates, students of third and fourth year are most aware of their
strengths and weaknesses.
To sum up, a vast majority (78%) of respondents strongly agree and agree that the
teacher helped them find out their strengths and weaknesses. However, according to the
teacher, the students are provided with neither any activities which would help them assess
their abilities in individual language areas nor a formative feedback which would give them a
concrete information on their performance in English. Such a high percentage of students who
agree with the item in all study groups indicates that the students incorrectly assume that they
are aware of their strengths and weaknesses while the only feedback they get are the grades
31
received from their teacher and the points scored in the activities. This, however, does not
provide them with any specific information about what they are good at and what they need to
further work on.
32
"As my teacher suggested, I have a journal (or similar) in which I keep trac
of what I've learned, I assess myselfandplan myfuture learning."
Strongly
disagree
41%
Indecided
8%
Disagree
33%
I 2.A «2.B,C 3.B B4.A
5?LD
fN
m
O
1G r a p h A 7 : Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h B7: Respondents who selected
the options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher encourages learners to use
a journal or a similar tool to support the cognitive process and promote their self-reflection.
6% of respondents strongly agree and 12% agree that they use a tool for planning and
evaluation. However, this item was not formulated correctly as it examines two aspects. Thus,
it is not possible to draw a firm conclusion from data obtained from the questionnaires.
The teacher states that she does not motivate students to use any kind of a tool for
self-reflection. "I haven't recommended the journal to anyone so far mainly because I didn't
use it as a student either. If I were a student and my teacher told me to make notes of what and
when I studied outside the classroom, I wouldn't do it anyway." In general, she finds it
challenging to motivate students for any sort of out-of-class learning. "I can hardly make
students bring homework regularly so I reckon it would be even harder with the journals."
According to her, journals are appropriate rather for the students who study individually or for
the teachers as a tool for self-reflection.
Graph B 7 demonstrates that students who use a journal are mostly in 3.A (25%) and
2.A (23%). In 2.B, C the percentage drops dramatically to 13% and even more in 4.A to 10%.
To sum up, the teacher does not encourage students to use neither a journal nor a
33
similar tool because she does not think that they would be willing to contribute in it. This is
confirmed by the results of the questionnaires as only 12% of respondents agree that they
have a journal. The fact that some students agreed with the item, truthfulness of which was
denied by the teacher, proves a low awareness of some students of what is going on in the
lessons and their weak ability to reflect on the learning process.
34
"Teacher often asks me questions which lead me to correct answer."
G r a p h As: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h Bs: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher applies non-directive
approach in teaching and enables students to take an active role in learning. The item is
strongly agreed and agreed by 44% and 40%, respectively. The results confirm that the
teacher presents information in a non-directive way and allows the students to discover
themselves. 16% of respondents who chose the option Undecided might be students who do
not realise the non-directive approach as they are not able to reflect on the teacher's methods.
The teacher confirms that she discusses the matter with students instead of presenting
it as a fact. "I ask a lot of questions but naturally, in each group I get various amount of
responses. It depends on several aspects such as overall nature of the study group, their
current mood, the day of the week or their previous lesson." The teacher also frequently
implements tasks based on the deduction to initiate the learning process and raise students'
interest. "Sometimes I assign a task concerning, for example, grammar that hasn't been
covered yet and let students explore and deduce the rules and answers."
Graph Bs demonstrates that this method of teaching is implemented the most in 4.A. In
other study groups the percentage ranks from 80% to 85%. However, the teacher states a
complete opposite. "The most interactive are the lessons in second grades. They are not afraid
to guess even though they might not be right. On the other hand, 4.A prefers to wait until I
provide the answers. I am sure they would eventually be able to get it right but they are
simply not confident enough about their knowledge to do so."
35
To sum up, it is confirmed by both the teacher and the learners that the learning is
realised in a non-directive way which means that instead of presenting the information as a
fact, the teacher guides students' self-discovery through appropriate questions. The results
confirm that in this matter the teacher promotes learners' autonomy and allow them to "take
charge for their own learning" as they take an active role in the learning process (Holec, 1981,
p. 3, in Benson & Voller, 1997, p. 1).
36
"Teacher appreciates when I ask him additional questions."
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher motivates students to ask
additional questions and to be active in the learning process. More than a half of respondents
(64%) expressed strong agreement and agreement while only 14% disagree. These results
confirm open communication of the teacher with some students in the group. Taking into
consideration that a third of students chose the option Undecided, we might conclude that
quite a large portion of the group has mixed feelings about asking the teacher additional
questions. This is especially true in 4.A where only 40% of respondents strongly agree and
agree that the teacher appreciates their questions.
To sum up, the level of appreciation differs in the individual study groups. This might
be again caused by a diverse relationship of the teacher with the individual groups. As the
graph B 9 shows, the percentage of students who feel appreciated for asking additional
questions drops dramatically when it comes to 4.A, the group in which the teacher finds
teaching most difficult.
37
"We often have a group discussion with our teacher."
| 78% | [_
G r a p h Aio: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h Bio: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher uses a dialogue as a
learning tool. 78% of respondents strongly agree and 20% agree with the item whilst only 2%
is undecided. In this case the results are quite conclusive and we can firmly conclude that
teacher's approach is rather communicative and the dialogue is used to enhance the cognitive
processes and the development of learners.
Group discussion frequently takes places in all study groups (100%), except for 4.A in
which the percentage is 90%. It is interesting to note that majority of students in 4.A (90%)
often leads a discussion with the teacher but, as the results of a previous item show, only 40%
of students feel appreciated for participating in a discussion.
The teacher states that her aim is to discuss the matter with students so that they can
practise an authentic interaction, however she admits that she is not successful in all study
groups. "I ask a lot of questions but naturally, in each group I get various amount of
responses." She claims second grades, the advanced groups, to be most active in the group
discussions as they are most confident. On the other hand, she admits that she gets fewest
responses in the group which is in the final year of their studies.
To sum up, the results confirm that the teacher implements communicative language
teaching as she often leads a discussion with the students. However, students' willingness to
contribute to the discussion varies, depending on their confidence in using the language. The
results of the questionnaires correspond with what the teacher claims in the interview, that the
38
least advanced group, 4.A, is the most difficult to communicate with and this group scores the
lowest percentage in the questionnaires. However, it is still very high (90%).
39
"During our lessons of English, we often work in groups in which we do the
assigned task."
G r a p h An: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h Bn: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher incorporates group work
in her teaching and therefore provides opportunities for spontaneous learning through a
mutual interaction of learners. According to the results, group work is a frequent method. 46%
of respondents strongly agree and 38% agree with the item. In 2.A it is claimed by 100%
respondents, in 4.Aby 90%. In other study groups the percentage ranges from 80% to 83%.
The teacher states that she organises students to work in pairs in every lesson as she
finds it rather beneficial to monitor the learning process this way. "I go around and spend a
minute or two with each pair as if I was a member of this group in order to monitor them and
support the interaction." However, she prefers students to work in groups of three members
maximum. "Bigger groups didn't turn out to be that efficient, it doesn't provide all students
with space and time to participate so particularly the shy ones remain silent." As another
advantage of working in pairs she mentions the classroom arrangement. "When there are four
students it means arranging the desks differently which takes time and causes chaos in the
classroom." The study group in which the teacher implements pair work are supposedly the
second grades, the most advanced ones. "The better the groups is, the more I let them work in
pairs. Naturally, when the language proficiency is low, students don't cooperate with each
other that much so the activity is waste of time."
40
To sum up, the results confirm that the teacher implements cooperative activities and
enables students to benefit from collaborative process. However, the activities are not realised
in groups but in pairs as the teacher finds it easier to organise students this way. In the less
advanced groups the pair work is not so usual.
41
"When we finish the group assignment we usually present it to our
classmates."
G r a p h A12: Overall results of the Likert scale G r a p h B12: Respondents who selected the
options Strongly Agree and Agree
The aim of this item was to investigate whether the teacher lets learners present their
group assignments and therefore increases the improvement of general presentation skills and
enables students to practice them in safe environment. The results of this item are quite
diverse. 27% of respondents strongly agree, 30% agree, 17% is undecided, 15% disagree and
11% strongly disagree with the item. The teacher confirms that when the groups finish the
task, not every group is asked to present their work to others. "I usually ask one or two groups
at random to present what they did but we don't have enough time for everyone's presenting."
As far as individual study groups are concerned, the presentations of tasks is most
frequent in 2.B, C (73%), 3.A (67%) and 2.A (62%). In 4.A the presentations take place very
rarely (30%).
To sum up, the results of the questionnaires correspond with that the teacher claims in
the interview. Only some groups present their work due to the time constraints. Because the
cooperative activities mostly takes places in more advanced groups, 2.A and 2.B, C, the
presenting is most frequent in second grades. On the contrary, in 4.A, the least advanced
group, only 30% of respondents claim to present the group assignments.
42
4.1 Interpretation offindings
The data was collected during the quantitative and qualitative part of the research. The
questionnaires explored the point of view of 50 students of the same school on their lessons of
English and on their teacher's methods. The semi-structured interview sought to find out the
teacher's perspective on her teaching and her opinion on some data which appeared
ambiguous after the evaluation of questionnaires.
In conclusion, the research showed that the teacher promotes learner autonomy to a
certain extent. It was also found out how the mutual relationship of the teacher and learners
influences learners' attitudes towards English. The study groups in which the teacher managed
to create the bond of trust proved to be the most advanced ones. The teacher finds teaching
these groups enjoyable and the results indicated that she promotes them with most autonomy.
In these study groups she also implements the democratic principles to the highest degree. On
the other hand, the least advanced groups bear almost no responsibility for learning as it is the
teacher who decides on the materials and the methods used, who corrects the work and
evaluates it.
On the following lines the research questions that were set up in the chapter 3.1 will be
answered.
Does the teacher include learners into the learning process?
The results indicate that in general the teacher does not consciously accommodate the
lessons according to the individual preferences and interests of the learners. It is similar with
allowing the learners to choose the activities which they are going to do in the lessons, the
whole study group usually do the pre-arranged tasks. However, 2.A and 2.B, C, the most
advanced groups, are occasionally asked to participate on decision-making process about the
content of the lessons as they cooperate really well and the teacher feels comfortable to
experiment.
Does the teacher give advice on learning and raise overall learning awareness?
The teacher supports learners in selection of appropriate resources when they want
more practice and she lets them use the resources autonomously. However, the advice is given
43
to the whole study group not to the individual learners, thus the teacher's advice does not
reflect the learner's needs. The learner is provided with individualised support when the
teacher notices that he struggles with particular issue not during but after the lesson.
The results also indicate that the teacher does not implement any self-assessment
tasks, therefore the students are not aware of their strengths and weaknesses in individual
areas of English and their awareness is rather low. The students are not encouraged to reflect
on the learning process, the only assessment is given by the teacher in the form of grades. As
far as the use of the journals is concerned, the teacher does not find it useful therefore she
does not encourage the students to use it for planning and evaluating their learning.
Does the teacher use a dialogue as a learning tool?
According to the research, learning is realised through the dialogue, however it
depends on the proficiency and the nature of the learners. The higher the learners' level of
English is, the more interactive the lessons are. The teacher occasionally implements the tasks
which enhance the process of self-discovery and she poses appropriate questions by which
she leads learners to the correct answers in a non-directive way.
Does the teacher implement group work and presentations into teaching?
The research showed that the students are often organised in pairs to work on the
cooperative tasks, however only the ones in advanced groups. Presentations of the
assignments are given rarely, learners are asked randomly to present their work.
44
Conclusion
This bachelor thesis presented the ways how autonomy can be promoted within
traditional education and explored whether it is realised in practice in high school EFL lessons
nowadays.
The first part of the thesis provided the theoretical background on autonomy and
explained the changes that need to be made in order to make learners responsible for their
learning. The main area of interest were especially fours aspects, namely implementation of
democratic principles, inclusion of study skills into teaching, integration of advising
principles into teaching and implementation of cooperative activities into teaching. Based on
these four aspects, the research questions were formulated.
The second part of the thesis dealt with promoting of learner autonomy in a practical
way. The research was realised in two steps. In the first stage, 50 high school students were
asked to fill in a short questionnaire investigating their opinion on the language teacher and
the methods she uses during their EFL lessons. In the second stage, a semi-structured
interview with the teacher of the respondents was conducted in order to validate the obtained
data. The results of both parts of the research were combined and analysed. Finally, the data
was interpreted and the conclusions were made.
It is important to note that this research was limited to 50 students and only one
language teacher therefore it is not possible to generalise the results. In order to conclude
firmly whether the teachers of English promote learner autonomy at secondary schools in the
Czech Republic nowadays, it is inevitable to explore the issue more thoroughly and address
more teachers and their students.
To conclude, the reorientation of focus from the teacher to learner is a change that
needs to be done gradually as it requires a lot of time and a great deal of effort on both parts.
The teachers must be willing to abandon the methods they are familiar with and take a step
into the unknown. The learners, on the other hand, are required to be more active, initiative
and involved in learning in order to share the responsibility for the results with the teacher.
The desirable outcome of such approach is the learner who is capable of setting the realistic
goal, finding appropriate resources, choosing suitable strategies and finally, who is able to
reflect critically on the process and the progress on his own. On the contrary, the traditional
education model considers successful learner the one who gets good grades. In my opinion,
the change towards autonomous learning is inevitable in the 21s t
century, the age of constant
45
innovation. I believe that, as autonomy becomes the subject of not only the research but also
the practice, an increasing number of teachers will get acquainted with this issue and provide
learners with guidance in becoming autonomous in their learning.
46
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50
Appendices
Appendix 1 - Questionnaire
Dotazník k bakalářské práci
Učitel mi pomohl zjistiL co mi v angličtině jde a
na čem bychnaopak měl pracoval
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnuly7
spiše
ne
ne
Diky mému učiteli mám věta záj em o angličtinu
než v minulosti.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spíše
ne
ne
Učitel miradijake aktivity si zvolit a kde je
můžu procvičovat.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý
spiše
ne
ne
Po návrhu učitele jsem si zavedl sešit (nebo
jiné), kam si zaznamenávaní cojsem se dnes
naučil: ohodnotím se: jak mi to šlo. a určim sL co
pněte udělám j inak.lepe.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý
spiše
ne
ne
V hodině angličtiny býváme rozděleni do skupin:
v kterých společně pracuj eme na zadaném úkolu.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spíše
ne
ne
Po prací ve skupinách často prezentujeme
hotový ukol před tňdou.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý
spiše
ne
ne
Učitel oceňuje: když mu kladu doplňujici otázky7
. ano
spíše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spíše
ne
ne
Učitel s námi často diskutuje • vede dialog. ano
spíše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spíše
ne
ne
Učitel nám dává rady. jak se učiL ano
spíše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spíše
ne
ne
Učitel šeptá na spoustu otázek: pomoci kterých
nás dovede ke správne odpovědi.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spiše
ne
ne
Učitel nam dáva na výběr z různých aktivit. ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spiše
ne
ne
Učitel nas nechá vyslovit názorná to: co bychom
se chtěli v hodinách učit.
ano
spiše
ano
nejsem
rozhodnutý7
spiše
ne
ne
51
Appendix 2 - Transcription of the recording of the semi-structured interview
with the teacher
Do you seek students' opinion on what they would like to learn in the lessons?
"I experimented with including children but it didn't turn out to be as useful as I thought so I
no longer do it. They usually don't know what they want to learn."
Is there any difference between the study groups?
"I asked children what they wanted to study only in the groups in which I wasn't behind with
the syllabus and in the better groups in which I was sure that if we do something extra, what
students want, it will be productive and I still will be able to finish what is set."
Do you sometimes let students choose from several activities according to their interests
during the lesson?
"Well, I don't ask individual students, we usually vote and the majority chooses the topic. I
am afraid that if each student could choose what he wants to study, it would result into chaos.
And of course, the lesson has only 45 minutes so the more variety I provide, the more time I
spend with checking-up. And if I don't check someone's work, he might not be motivated to
fulfil the tasks in the future."
Is there any difference between the study groups?
"Well yes, it is. In 2. A and 2.B, C I can afford not to stick to a pre-set syllabus because I know
we will be able to manage, they are the most advanced group I teach. And in other groups ... it
depends but the pace in which students work differs, naturally, so those who finish first can
decide themselves what they are going to do in the meantime."
Do you give advice on which activities students should choose when they need more
practice and where they can find them?
"During the lesson I give advice to the whole group, not to individuals. At the end of the
lesson I usually mention once again where the thing is explained in the course book and then I
show the web pages where they can practise and take a test. Students prefer online exercises
although I bring extra copied materials for those who want. And in every language classroom
52
we also have a display with great web page sources so I tell them to check it if they want. I've
showed them how to use the pages once and after some time they got used to practising there
autonomously, especially before the test."
Do you consider your support in learning balanced between all four study groups?
"There are students who require extra attention in all groups. But logically, the most of them
are in less advanced groups which means 3.B and 4.A."
What does your support look like?
"When I notice that someone repeatedly struggles in some area, I rather talk to him after class
and offer to bring some extra materials or my help in general. I don't think it's a good idea to
put someone in the spotlight during the lesson and draw the attention on his problem. When
the lesson is over, I talk to him, most importantly I show that I care and that I've noticed the
problem. My attention gives the student an emotional stimulus but it also obliges him to work
harder because he knows he is overseen."
Do you implement activities during which would students find out their strengths and
weaknesses in the individual language areas?
"Well, they are regularly assessed during the tests and in the lessons they know how well they
did according to how many mistakes they made. The only extra thing we do is in less
cooperative groups and groups which are in the final year of their studies, in which we also
provide mock Maturita exam as a motivational tool. The aim is to make children realise the
areas they need to improve the most."
Do you recommend your students to use a tool, for example a journal, to plan and selfreflect
on their learning?
"No, I haven't recommended the journal to anyone so far mainly because I didn't use it as a
student either. If I were a student and my teacher told me to make notes of what and when I
studied outside the classroom, I wouldn't do it anyway. I can hardly make students bring
homework regularly so I reckon it would be even harder with the journals. Although I can
imagine recommending the journal to students with an individual study plan or to I could use
it to reflect on my work."
53
In which group do you find teaching most enjoyable?
"It's certainly the second grades, the most advanced groups. They are intrinsically motivated,
they like English because they are good at it. When I bring something new they don't criticise
it like other groups, they enjoy learning new things. And when they get a bad grade they are
able to admit that it's not just my fault. In other study groups it's much more hard work. With
2.A and 2.B, C we get on really well so I have a tendency to talk more about myself therefore
they are willing to be more personal as well; I can feel the bond of trust."
Do you ask a lot of questions during teaching?
"Yes, of course I ask a lot of questions but sometimes it's hard. Each group is different so
naturally, in each one I get various amount of responses."
Is there any difference between individual study groups?
"I think the most interactive are lessons in second grades. They are not afraid to guess even
though they might not be right. On the other hand, 4.A prefers to wait until I provide the
answers. I am sure they would eventually be able to get it right but they are simply not
confident enough about their knowledge to do so. And, of course, it depends on several other
aspects such as overall nature of the group, their current mood, the day of the week or their
previous lesson. In the better groups I sometimes assign a task concerning, for example,
grammar that hasn't been covered yet and let students explore and deduce the rules and
answers.. .to make them think on their won for a while."
Do you organise the students to work in groups?
"Students work in groups in every lesson, it's very useful. I go around and spend a minute or
two with each pair as if I was a member of this group in order to monitor them and support
the interaction. However, we don't work in groups, rather in pairs or a group of three. Bigger
groups didn't turn out to be that efficient, it doesn't provide all students with space and time
to participate so particularly the shy ones remain silent. And also when there are four students
it means arranging the desks differently which takes time and causes chaos in the classroom."
Is there any difference between individual study groups?
"The better the groups is, the more I let them work in pairs. Naturally, when the language
proficiency is low, students don't cooperate with each other that much so the activity is waste
of time."
54
Do the groups present their assignments in front of others?
"We don't do any official presentations when the students would stand in front of the
blackboard and present what they worked on. I usually ask one or two groups at random to
present what they did but we don't have enough time for everyone's presenting."
55