Wei, Yi-Chun Sherri (2011) Understanding students' learner autonomy through practitioner research. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis reports on practitioner research I conducted over two semesters
teaching online listening courses to three different groups of students in Fu-Jen
Catholic University in Taiwan. Instead of a typical three-cycle Action Research
model starting with a specific target area to improve, I adopted a more flexible
exploratory approach allowing a longer evaluative phase before deciding on a
focal area. Originally, my interest was to investigate how CSCL (Computer
Supported Collaborative Learning) could help students in counteracting the
relative isolation of online learning. However, after the first phase, I directed my
attention more to the role of reflection as students neglected the online
interactions and preferred communicating their ideas with me through reflective
accounts and listening diaries.
My research questions focused on three areas: the roles of collaboration
and reflection, the online modality and issues related to researching learner
autonomy. With the aim of exploring development over time, I gathered three
kinds of data: pedagogically motivated data including online interactions and
student assignments (listening diaries, reflective accounts); additional student
interview and evaluation data; my fieldnotes and observation data documenting
how I managed the three courses. Therefore, all the data collected was textual
and qualitative in nature. Different approaches to data analysis were applied to
different datasets. Grounded theory was applied to the interview data to allow
themes and codes to emerge, whereas I-statement analysis and some
predetermined coding categories were applied to the diaries and reflective
accounts. The findings are structured according to the three areas of investigation.
First of all, regarding collaboration and reflection, the success/failure of
collaborative tasks depends greatly on task design configuration, while diarykeeping
indeed serves as an effective pedagogical tool to raise students’
awareness of their learning processes and heighten their sense of ownership.
Based on this understanding, teachers can create a space for reflection by
marking regular opportunities for reflection and offering guiding questions.
Secondly, regarding the online modality, the success of the online interactions
contributed to students’ sense of ownership, which is closely related to their
perception of what a listening course should be like and their identity as college
students. Lastly, regarding issues related to researching learner autonomy,
combining both Action Research and Exploratory Practice principles is beneficial
to ensure that the teacher-researcher does not impose the research agenda onto
learners. When data elicitation tools and data analysis techniques are also
pedagogically motivated, the findings can authentically represent the picture of
students’ learning. In viewing the development of learner autonomy as a learning
process, considering cognitive, affective and behavioural domains can help us to
understand learners’ perceptions and metacognitive strategies which are not
easily observable from their learning behaviours. Furthermore, the data reveals
that motivation and strategies interplay with learner autonomy throughout the
process of learning.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LC Special aspects of education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Learner autonomy, Computer-assisted instruction, Reflective learning, Undergraduates -- Taiwan
Official Date:	June 2011
Dates:	Date Event June 2011 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Applied Linguistics
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Ushioda, Ema ; Smith, Richard C., 1961-
Extent:	xvii, 345 leaves : ill., charts
Language:	eng

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