VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TEACHERS’ ROLES AND CHALLENGES IN FOSTERING LEARNER AUTONOMY: A CASE STUDY IN EFL BLENDED-LEARNING CLASSES AT A COLLEGE IN HANOI (Vai trò và thách thức của giáo viên trong việc thúc day tinh tự chủ của người học: một nghiên cứu dién hình trong các lớp học tiếng Anh theo mô hình học tập kết hợp tại một trường cao đẳng ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 HANOI - 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TEACHERS’ ROLES AND CHALLENGES IN FOSTERING LEARNER AUTONOMY: A CASE STUDY IN EFL BLENDED-LEARNING CLASSES AT A COLLEGE IN HANOI (Vai trò và thách thức của giáo viên trong việc thúc day tinh tự chủ của người học: một nghiên cứu dién hình trong các lớp học tiếng Anh theo mô hình học tập kết hợp tại một trường cao đẳng ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Huynh Anh Tuan HANOI - 2024 DECLARATION I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is the results of my own research and has not been submitted to any other university or institution partially or wholly. Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in text of the thesis Student Nguyễn Thi Thuy Hạnh Supervisor’s comments: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Huynh Anh Tuan, whose expertise was invaluable throughout the process of the thesis.
Had it not been for his whole-hearted support, this research would not have been completed. I would also like to pay my special regards to all four participants in the research, together with their students. It was their support and sharing that enriched the data and enabled this research to be possible. Even though your names cannot be included in this part and the whole thesis, please be assured that I have always appreciated your assistance during this long-term process.
Most importantly, none of this could have happened without my family and my boyfriend. To my parents, who always supported my choices, and my sister, who always expressed her genuine sympathy for all of the difficulties that I encountered, had it not been for your unconditional love, understanding and even tolerance, I would have never had enough time and strength to complete the thesis. And to my boyfriend, Trinh Dang Huy, every time I was ready to quit, it was your unwavering belief and encouragement that pushed me forwards so that I could make this dream come true. 1 ABSTRACT Autonomy is not an inborn ability and it is believed that learners must be instructed to be autonomous learners.
Therefore, in the enhancement of language learner autonomy, teachers are believed to play crucial and indispensible roles. Though the topic of teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy has been investigated in a variety of language learning settings with a variety of language learners, very little has been known about the context of blended learning. This study is conducted to explore teachers’ roles and challenges in fostering learner autonomy in the context of EFL blended-learning classes at a college in Hanoi. The researcher employs three different instruments for data collection, including teachers’ reflections, interviews, and class observations.
The employment of three data collection instruments creates a triangulation of data, which ensures the accuracy and reliability of the research results. The results reveal a discrepancy between teachers’ perceptions and actual practices of teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy. Findings also reveal several challenges that teachers have to deal with when making efforts to encourage learner autonomy among their students, including their lack of experience in training learner autonomy, the students’ lack of intrinsic motivation, limited proficiency in English and autonomous learning skills, and the lack of power and control over many factors. New findings can also be found in teacher-related and context-related challenges in fostering learner autonomy, namely teachers’ occassional lack of enthusiasm and energy to make an effort to foster learner autonomy, and the acknowledged huge impact of family and friends on learner autonomy.
This research is conducted with the hope to raise college teachers’ awareness of their vital roles and the challenges with which teachers are dealing in enhancing learner autonomy in the context of EFL blended learning. Keywords: learner autonomy, teachers’ roles, challenges, EFL, blended learning ill TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION 0107.- HH HH HH HH HH ng nh il L. 11 LIST OF ABBREYVIA TIONS. HH HH HH nghệ vii LIST OF TABLES.- ĐH HH TH ng HH HH HH Vili CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.- LH ng giết 1 1.
Rationales for the 2 5. Research aims and research Questions. Scope of the SfUY. Gv HH HT HH HH HH HH 3 1.
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Organization Of the Study.c- 5 s3 19v nh TT HH ng ng nưệt 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEWW. Learner autonomy in language Ï€arn1nE. What learner autonomy is NÏÏ.- - - - 1n TH TH ng 6 2. Definitions of learner aUfORIOTTY.
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Definitions of blended learT11E.-- -- -- - xxx 3335191 kg ng grưy 13 2. Levels of blended Ïearn1nng. Benefits of blended learning in fostering learner autonomy. Drawbacks of blended learning in fostering learner autonomy.
Previous research on teachers’ roles and challenges in fostering learner autonomy .- Đ- L HH HH HH HH ng re, 19 3.-- - G1 SH HH HH nh 19 iv 3. Research context and partICIDATIS. Data collection methO(S.- s5 s1 19011930 E930 911 91191 ng ng ng gưy 23 3. Teachers’ refÏ€CfIOT.- -- -- L1 HH ST TH TH TH HH ngư 24 3.
Semi-structured ITf€TVICWS. Data analysis DTOC€(UTS. -- G3111 HH HH HH ng 27 3. Steps for data afnaÏYS1S.
Themes coding methO.-- ó5 +11 931 E3 1191 ng ngư 27 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND MAJOR FINDINGS. Teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy and teacher roles in fostering learner autonomy in EFL blended-learning classes. Cross-case SyntH€SIS.- -- HH HH HH HH Hệ 38 4. Teachers’ actual practice of roles in fostering learner autonomy in EFL ID[ÔiI5401521615ã/111<.
Within-case synth€§SIS. CTOSS-CaS€ SVTHHSIS. Challenges in fostering learner autonomy in EFL blended-learning classes. Within-case añnaÏYS1S.-- -- «vn nh HH nh TH HH Hiệp 55 4.
Cross-case SYTEH€SIS.G- Án HH TH TH HH HH HH già 60 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSIONS. LH HH nhàng hư63 5. Teachers’ perceptions of learner aUfOTIOTT. Teachers’ perceptions of their roles in fostering learner autonomy.
Teachers’ actual practices of their roles in fostering learner autonomy in EFL blended learning CÏASS€S. Challenges encountered by college teachers in fostering learner autonomy in EFL blended learning €ÌSS€S. - 6 5 S5 1119 TH HH TH Hàng Hy 70 5. New contributions to the existing ÏIf€TafUT€.
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Recommendations for future research. -- << + 113911189111 10 1 10 19 1011911 ng nh 78 REEERENCES. HH HH HH ng TH HH TH HH HH h 79 APPENDICES. Quihh I APPENDIX 1A: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION CHECKLIST.
I APPENDIX 1B: ONLINE LEARNING SYSTEMS OBSERVATION CHECKLIST III APPENDIX 2: TEACHER’S SELF-REFLECTION GUIDELINES. IV APPENDIX 3: PROTOCOL FOR TEACHER INTERVIEWS. VI APPENDIX 4A: T1’S OBSERVATION CHECKLIST. ce ceeeceeccereereeteeeeeeens VII APPENDIX 4B: T1’S ONLINE LEARNING SYSTEMS OBSERVATION.
XII APPENDIX 5: T1’S SELF-REFLECTION. Ăn series XIV APPENDIX 6: T1’S INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTIONS.Ă- XXII VI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CMS : Course Management System EFL : English as a Foreign Language ELT : English Language Teaching vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy (Voller, 1997). Possible challenges faced by teachers in fostering learner autonomy.
Case description table 0n. Data collection Matrix 1n. Samples of coding themes .1 1 ng ngư,28 Vili CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The introductory chapter provides a brief introduction of the rationale, aims and research questions, scopes, methods, significance and organization of the study. In other words, this chapter aims at explaining the underpinning principles related to the research topic, setting primary objectives for the study, defining the boundary, underscoring the importance of the research and sketching out an outline for the research paper.
Rationales for the study Why learner autonomy? Autonomy has always been a concern-raising topic among education activists and teachers. Since the effectiveness of learning process depends largely upon the degree to which learners attain autonomy (Little, 1991), “research on autonomy in the field of language education has no doubt contributed to language teachers’ knowledge of the concept and its applications” (Benson, 2011, p. With the rapid change of education in the era of technology and artificial intelligence, it is necessary that educators and teachers broaden their understanding of learner autonomy and its current situation, so that more viable strategies could be applied to foster their learner autonomy. Why teacher’s roles? In the enhancement of learner autonomy, teachers are believed to play crucial and irreplaceable roles as autonomy is not an inborn ability (L.
On the contrary, learners need to be helped and trained to learn autonomously and effectively, which puts an emphasis on the role of teachers in the improvement of learners’ autonomy. However, to the best knowledge of the researcher, although several discussions have been conducted about how to promote learner autonomy, little has been known about the roles of language teachers and the challenges they face in fostering learner autonomy. Most of the research carried out in the context of Vietnam puts its focus on learning strategies to encourage learner autonomy among students (1 vai tac gia trong related studies). It is crucial that this research be carried out to explore more about teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy.
Why blended-learning classes? Besides, even though the topic of learner autonomy has been scrutinized in a wide range of educational contexts for a wide range of learners (Nguyen, 2009), little research has taken into consideration the case of blended learning. Most research conducted in the context of Vietnam and other countries has looked into the cases of traditional schools where students attend conventional classes, complete in- class learning tasks, and most of teacher-learner interaction occurs in classrooms (1 vai tac gia trong related studies). Meanwhile, in the context of blended learning classes, students spend a significant amount of their time self-studying on the learning management system, and a lot of learner-teacher interaction occurs online, which requires a much higher degree of autonomy among learners. Therefore, this study must be conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the concept in the context of blended learning classes.
Why teachers’ roles and challenges in fostering learner autonomy in blended-learning classes at this specific college? Learner autonomy has always been of the reseacher’s special interest. Experiences in teaching EFL in blended learning classes help her realize how important it is for learners to be provided with comprehensive instruction on how to learn autonomously both online at home and offline in classes. In the enhancement of learner autonomy, teachers play an indispensable role.