Autonomy and control in curriculum development: ‘Are you teaching what we all agreed?’

Nix, Mike; Barfield, Andy

doi:10.5790/hongkong/9789622099234.003.0012

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This clearly shows how difficult it is to implement principles of learner autonomy on a curricular level -a challenge that every attempt to foster learner autonomy has to stand. The difficulty of curriculum reform for autonomy has also been confirmed by Nix and Barfield (2009), who have described their experience with the implementation of a literacyfocused English curriculum at a Japanese university.…”

Section: Curriculum-based Approachesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Principles of Learner Autonomy in Action: Effects and Perceptions in a College-Level Foreign Language Class

Haseborg¹,

Everwien²

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This study was designed to investigate how college learners of a foreign language perceived learner autonomy, its effects on student motivation, and its benefits to different parts of language learning. It utilized a mixed-methods design. Participants were 90 undergraduate students in German courses of different levels. During the course of instruction, principles of learner autonomy were implemented in the instruction. Qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected in the form of a self-assessment survey, learning journals, reflective statements, and an autonomous learning survey. The analysis was focused on (1) how students perceived the ability to make autonomous learning choices, (2) how the ability to make autonomous choices regarding format, content, and timing affected motivation, and (3) which areas of language learning were most benefited by autonomous learning choices. The findings showed evidence that a majority of the students involved in this study reacted very positively to an autonomous learning environment, especially to the opportunity to make choices in regards to content. The students unanimously reported an increase in their level of motivation based on the autonomous learning choices. There was also a contrast between appreciation for autonomous learning choices on the one hand, and requests for more targeted instruction and practice on grammar, as well as more frequent assessments like quizzes and tests.

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Section: Curriculum-based Approachesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Principles of Learner Autonomy in Action: Effects and Perceptions in a College-Level Foreign Language Class

Haseborg¹,

Everwien²

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“…Many studies have been done on the issue of project work in promoting learner autonomy (e.g. Ramírez, 2014;Nix, 2003;Stephenson & Kohyama, 2003). Ramírez (2014) conducted an action research study on promoting learner autonomy through project work in an English for Specific Purposes class at a Colombian regional and public university.…”

Section: Curriculum-based Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to Fostering Learner Autonomy in EFL Learning

Daflizar

2023

Journey

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Learner autonomy has been a major topic of research in foreign language education for a long time. Despite the prevalent consensus that learner autonomy is concerned with a learner’s capacity to take control or take charge of his/her own learning (Benson, 2013), this does not mean that the teacher’s role is unnecessary. In recent years, many approaches to promoting learner autonomy have been suggested and many empirical studies have been carried out to examine the effectiveness of the approaches. This paper aimed at reviewing approaches to promoting learner autonomy. First, the definitions of learner autonomy are presented, followed by a discussion of the teacher’s roles in promoting learner autonomy. Next, six approaches to fostering learner autonomy as proposed by Benson (2001) are reviewed with references to both theories and results of empirical research. Based on the review, it can be concluded that teachers play an important role in the development of learner autonomy, and although the six approaches have different emphases, they seem to have more similarities than differences, particularly in encouraging learners to plan and follow their language learning paths to attain their goals. Implications for future research are put forward.

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“…The nature of S's relationships with the course coordinators, in other words, resembles that of supervisors and subordinates, with the former being able to closely monitor and influence the latter's professional practice. This type of relationship can be detrimental to teacher autonomy development because it does not allow teachers to take ownership of their practices or experiment with new approaches to teaching and learning (Nix & Barfield, 2009). Although teachers, in principle, should question the status quo and confront constraints on their teaching (Jiménez Raya & Vieira, 2015;Smith & Erdoğan, 2008), S knew that doing so in his context would invite unnecessary scrutiny from his department which in turn could further undermine his autonomy.…”

Section: Factors That Support and Constrain Teacher Autonomy In The E...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Teacher Autonomy Through EFL Teachers’ Online Teaching Experiences

Chinpakdee

2022

rEFLections

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Research on autonomy in foreign language education has largely focused on learner autonomy while relatively little attention has been given to teacher autonomy and the factors that underpin its exercise and development. Similar to learner autonomy, teacher autonomy is a multidimensional construct and the degree to which it can be exercised and maintained varies, depending on context. This qualitative research examines teacher autonomy in the context of emergency online language teaching. Accounts of two teachers’ online teaching experiences were used to (a) explore how EFL teachers exercise and maintain their autonomy in teaching during the transition from face-to-face to online learning and (b) identify factors that affect their autonomy during this challenging time. Findings reveal that both teachers viewed the transition to online learning as an opportunity to exercise their autonomy and experiment with new ways to improve their practices. However, the extent to which they could implement new pedagogical ideas in their teaching depends on their professional relationships with others in their contexts. This study highlights the importance of reflection, collaboration, and negotiation as essential components of teacher autonomy and teacher development.

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Autonomy and control in curriculum development: ‘Are you teaching what we all agreed?’

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Principles of Learner Autonomy in Action: Effects and Perceptions in a College-Level Foreign Language Class

Principles of Learner Autonomy in Action: Effects and Perceptions in a College-Level Foreign Language Class

Approaches to Fostering Learner Autonomy in EFL Learning

Understanding Teacher Autonomy Through EFL Teachers’ Online Teaching Experiences

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