Interface Between Learner Autonomy and Group Dynamics: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Sheikhbahaee University

Abstract

This descriptive study looked into Persian learners’ autonomy and its ties with in-class group dynamics. The participants were undergraduate learners and M.A. students together with their teachers. Data were collected, using a questionnaire, on the participants’ beliefs about autonomy, their autonomous behaviors, and their perceptions of group norms and group cohesiveness. Corresponding teachers, however, provided data just on their learners’ group norms and cohesiveness. Data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test, a Man-Whitney U test, the Kendall’s-tau b correlation coefficient and a Kruskal-Wallis test. Results revealed that the participants’ autonomous beliefs were not much realized in their behaviors. However, the participants and their instructors had similar ideas about how cohesive their classes were. It was also found that the length of time the participants spent in the academic setting positively correlated with their autonomous behaviors and their group cohesiveness. Overall, the results suggested that a more serious approach to training both democratic L2 teachers and autonomous L2 learners should be taken in the Iranian context of education.

Keywords

References

Adelman, H., & Taylor, L. (2005). Classroom climate. In S. W. Lee, P. A. Lowe, & E. Robinson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of school psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Alfaro, R. R., & Navarrete, R. R. (2010). Interactivity in second language via social identity and group cohesiveness. Letras, 48, 193-208.
Al Ghazali, F. (2010). Methods of investigating students’ beliefs about autonomy in language learning. In SPARC, University of Salford, UK. Retrieved July, 7, 2014, from the World Wide Web: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/21010
Al Ghazali, F. (2011). Investigating students’ beliefs about autonomy in an Arab setting. In SPARC, University of Salford, UK. Retrieved July, 7, 2014, from the World Wide Web: http://usir.salford.ac.uk/21011
Ajzen, I. (1988). Attitudes, personality, and behavior. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
Balçikanli. C. (2010). Learner autonomy in language learning: Student-teachers’ beliefs. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(1), 90-103.
Barcelos, A. M. F., & Kalaja, P. (2011). Introduction to beliefs about SLA revisited. System, 39, 281-289.
Barillaro, F. (2011). Teacher perspectives of learner autonomy in language learning. Unpublished master’s thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, England.
Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. London, UK: Longman.
Bloom, M. (2007). Tension in a nontraditional Spanish classroom. Language Teaching Research, 11, 85-102.
Brown, A. V. (2009). Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of effective foreign language teaching: A comparison of ideals. The Modern Language Journal, 93, 46-60.
Camilleri, G. (1997). Learner autonomy: The teachers’ views. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ecml.at/documents/pubCam illeriG_E.pdf
Camilleri, G. (1999). Learner autonomy: The teachers’ views. Germany: Council of Europe.
Calajda, D. (2012). Teacher’s action zone in facilitating group dynamics. Lingwarvm Arena, 3, 89-101.
Canagarajah, A. S. (1993). Critical ethnography of a Sri Lankan classroom: Ambiguities in opposition to reproduction through ESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 27, 601-626.
Carr, P. B., & Ponton, M. (2000). Understanding and promoting autonomy and self-directed learning. Current Research in Social Psychology, 5(19), 29-41.
Chang, L. Y. H. (2007). The influences of group processes on learners’ autonomous beliefs and behaviors. System, 35, 322-337. 
Chang, L. Y. H. (2010). Group processes and EFL learners’ motivation: A study of group dynamics in EFL classrooms. TESOL Quarterly, 44(1), 129- 154.
Clement, R., Dornyei, Z., & Noels, A. (1994). Motivation, self-confidence, and group cohesion in the foreign language classroom. Language Learning, 44(3), 417- 448.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Colibaba, A. C. (2009). Group cohesion in the English language class. Synergy, 5(2), 174-182.
Dafei, D. (2007). An exploration of the relationship between learner autonomy and English proficiency. Asian EFL Journal, 24, 1-23.
Dornyei, Z. (1997). Psychological processes in cooperative language learning: Group dynamics and motivation. Modern Language Journal, 81(4), 482- 493.
Dornyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dornyei, Z., & Malderez, A. (1997). Group dynamics and foreign language teaching. System, 25(1), 65-81.
Dornyei, Z., & Murphey, T. (2003). Group dynamics in the language classroom. Cambridge: CUP
Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Emura, M. Z. (2009). Understanding group cohesion in the language classroom. TESOL Working Papers Series, 7(1), 42-49.
Forsyth, D. R. (1990). Group dynamics (2nd ed.). CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Fraser, B. J. (2004). Classroom environment instruments: Development, validity, and applications. Learning Environments Research, 3, 7-34.
Hadfield, J. 1992. Classroom dynamics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hawkey, R. (2006). Teacher and learner perceptions of language learning activity. English Language Teaching Journal, 60, 242-252.
Heron, J. (2006). The complete facilitator’s handbook. London: Kogan Page.
Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon.
Horwitz, E. K. (1988). The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. The Modern Language Journal, 72(3), 283-294.
Jean, G., & Simard, D. (2011). Grammar teaching and learning in L2: Necessary, but boring? Foreign Language Annals, 44, 467-494.
Joshi, K. R. (2011). Learner perceptions and teacher beliefs about learner autonomy in language learning. Journal of Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA), 16(2), 13-29.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (1991). Language-learning tasks: Teacher intention and learner interpretation. English Language Teaching Journal, 45, 98-107.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2006). Understanding language teaching: From method to postmethod. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lacey, F. (2007). Autonomy, never, never, never! Independence, 42, 4-8.
Little, D. (2007). Language learner autonomy: Some fundamental considerations revisited. Innovations in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 1-27.
Liu, Y. (2012). A study on learners’ beliefs about learner autonomy in English language learning. Advances in Intelligence and Soft Computing, 108, 725-732.
Mantle-Bromley, C. (1995). Positive attitudes and realistic beliefs: Links to proficiency. The Modern Language Journal, 79, 372-386.
Martinez, H. (2008). The subjective theories of student-teachers: Implications for teacher education and research. In T. Lamb & H. Reinders (Eds.), Learner and teacher autonomy: Concepts, realities, and response (103- 124). AILA Applied Linguistics Series: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 
Matsumoto, Y. (2010). Group dynamics in the Japanese university ELT classroom. Retrieved July 7, 2014, from the World Wide Web: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/29 6/3/Matsumoto09PhD.pdf
McCargar, D. F. (1993). Teacher and student role expectations: Cross-cultural differences and implications. The Modern Language Journal, 77, 192-207.
Meskill, C., & Rangelova, K. (2000). Relocating the ‘cognitive’ in sociocognitive views of second language learning. In R. Rapp. (Ed.), Linguistics on the way into the new millennium: Proceedings of the 34th colloquium of linguistics. London: Peter Lang-Verlag Publishing.
Paydon, S. (2012). Developing a motivational learning environment. In K. Irie & A. Stewart (Eds.), Proceedings of the JALT Learner Development SIG Realizing Autonomy Conference, Learning Learning, 19(2), 46-59.
Peacock, M. (1998). The links between learner beliefs, teacher beliefs, and EFL proficiency. Perspectives, 10,125-159.
Peacock, M. (2001). Preservice ESL teachers’ beliefs about second language learning: A longitudinal study. System, 29, 177-195.
Ratzburg, W. H. (2004). Organizational behavior. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from the World Wide Web: http://www.oocities.org/frtzw906
Ruescha, A., Bown, J., & Deweya, D. P. (2012). Student and teacher perceptions of motivational strategies in the foreign language classroom. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 6, 15-27.
Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
Senior, R. M. (2002). A class-centered approach to language teaching. ELT Journal, 56(4), 397-403.
Smith, R.C. (2003). Pedagogy for autonomy (becoming-) appropriate methodology. In D. Palfreyman & R. C. Smith (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives (pp. 129-146). New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Stevick, E. W. (1980). A way and ways. Rowley: Newbury House Publishers, Inc.
Talley, P. C. (2014). Students’ responses to learner autonomy in Taiwan: An investigation into learners’ beliefs. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(4),24-34.
Thanasoulas, D. (2000). What is learner autonomy and how can it be fostered? The Internet TESL Journal, 4(11), 1-8.
Thanasoulas, D. (2002). Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom. The Internet TESL Journal, 8(11), 1-5.
Thanh Nga, N. (2014). Learner autonomy in language learning: Teachers’ beliefs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.   
White, C. (2003). Language learning in distance education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Zhong, Q. (2010). The effect of Chinese ESL learners’ beliefs on their autonomous learning. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 1(3), 212- 225.
Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
November 2016
Pages 120-139

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics