Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Learner Autonomy Transfer: Teacher Training Is Not Enough
Ira Slabodar
ABSTRACT:
Autonomous learning in EFL refers to the use of target language, learner collaboration and students’ responsibility for their learning. Teachers play a vital role of mediators and facilitators in the self-regulated method. Thus, their perception of self-guided practices dictates their implementation of this approach. While research has predominantly focused on inadequate administration of autonomous learning in school mostly due to lack of appropriate teacher training, this study examined whether graduate teachers who were exposed to extensive autonomous practices were likely to implement this method in their teaching. Twelve novice teachers were interviewed to examine their perception of learner autonomy and their administration of this method. It was found that three-thirds of the respondents experienced a gap between familiarity with autonomous learning and a favorable attitude to this approach and their deficient integration of self-directed learning. Although learner-related and institution-oriented factors played a role in this gap, it was mostly caused by the respondents’ not being genuinely autonomous. This may be due to indirect exposure rather than explicit introduction of the learner autonomy approach. The insights of this research may assist curriculum designers and heads of teacher training programs to rethink courses composition to guarantee transfer of methodologies into EFL classes.
keywords: English as a Foreign Language (EFL), explicit instruction, genuinely autonomous teachers, graduate teachers, teachers’ role