Steps towards autonomy in the spanish university

In: http://hdl.handle.net/10578/3368

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to chart the highs and lows of a journey towards learner autonomy which I took in the company of students from the degree of English Philology, studying the course of English Language, at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The motivation for carrying out a study of this nature arises from the observation that, although learner autonomy now enjoys widespread legislative support, this still appears to have relatively little impact on students¿ learning in many contexts. This study therefore sets out to explore some of the reasons for this gap between theory and practice, and to look for ways of bridging the gap. The study is based on socio-constructivist psychology, (Vygotsky 1978; Bruner 1966) and draws on the work of experts in language learner autonomy such as Benson (2001), Dam (1995), Dickinson (1996), Legenhausen (1999, 2001, 2010), Little (1991), Riley (1988, 2009) etc. as well as work in the field of language counselling, (including Gremmo 1995; Karlsson 2008; Mynard 2011; Mozzon-McPherson 2006). - contenido de la investigación The thesis is based on a three-year Action Research study. My aim was to thrash out a 'pedagogy for autonomy' which developed out of a realistic appreciation of the educational and cultural background of my students and to use the learners' voices to tease out lessons for the practitioner. A wide range of data collection procedures were used to ascertain student reactions, the impact of the activities on students and teacher alike, the problems encountered and solutions arrived at along the way. The sources of data vary from reflective questionnaires to individual interviews and group `learning-to-learn¿ tutorials. Perhaps the most novel aspect of the study was the implementation of a series of 'Group Learning-to-Learn Tutorials' designed to ease the transition to a more autonomous approach. These sessions allowed the exploration of group construction of metacognitive knowledge, in line with the dialogic approach to learning taken throughout the study. - conclusión The study revealed an overall positive reaction from students, with significant changes in their attitudes and behaviours over the course of the investigation with regard to their learning process and their role within it. The nature of the study allowed an in-depth discussion of the types of problem encountered and helped to generate a number of guide-lines which could be helpful to teachers wishing to further develop learner autonomy in contexts similar to this one.