Self-directed learning and the teacher’s role: insights from two different teaching contexts

Abstract

There has been interest in learner autonomy in the field of language education for many years but the role of the teacher remains uncertain. In Japan, where this research was conducted, it is not commonplace for comprehensive programs that foster autonomous learning to be integrated into formal English education, but some institutions and educators have taken steps in this direction. This study gives an overview of two different contexts in which teacher support for autonomous learning was woven into English education at Japanese universities; firstly, in a course that was dedicated to self-directed learning and secondly, in a speaking course that included a self-directed learning strand. Survey data that were collected from 50 students in these two contexts suggest that the support given in both course types was largely beneficial to learners, with similar outcomes in many areas but a noteworthy difference in the amount of time spent studying outside of class.

Reframing Self-Access: Reviewing the Literature and Updating a Mission Statement for a New Era

“…237-238) In addition, students in both the SDL and Speaking courses were given opportunities to learn about and try various study tools and methods, with more time allocated in the SDL course. Questionnaire data (n=50) indicated that students in both courses felt that the structures incorporated to facilitate autonomous learning were useful and committed time to self-study during their courses and university breaks, with longer time commitments for most SDL students (Ohashi, 2018).…”

Agency in and Beyond the Classroom: Learners’ Selection of Resources for Self-Directed Language Learning

“…The weekly structure of SDLU is shown in Figure 1. At the heart of the unit are five planning-action-reflection cycles, a term taken from Ohashi (2018), who describes a similar self-directed learning program at another Japanese university. For each of these cycles, learners spend 15 minutes setting goals, planning what to study, and searching for suitable materials; 60 minutes implementing their plan; and finally, 15 minutes evaluating the resources used and writing a learning reflection focusing on the effectiveness of their plan.…”

Untitled

“…The weekly structure of SDLU is shown in Figure 1. At the heart of the unit are five planning-action-reflection cycles, a term taken from Ohashi (2018), who describes a similar self-directed learning program at another Japanese university. For each of these cycles, learners spend 15 minutes setting goals, planning what to study, and searching for suitable materials; 60 minutes implementing their plan; and finally, 15 minutes evaluating the resources used and writing a learning reflection focusing on the effectiveness of their plan.…”