Profiling and supporting learner autonomy development through an integrated understanding of autonomous language learners

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02986
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: Hiromori Tomohito 明治大学, 国際日本学部, 専任教授 (30448378)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 第二言語習得 / 自律学習 / 動機づけ / 学習方略 / 学習内容 / 個人差

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Learner autonomy in second/foreign language learning has been intensely investigated for decades. However, despite several practical studies on fostering autonomy, very little has been researched or published on “measuring” autonomy empirically. This study therefore has a two-fold objective: (1) to develop and validate an instrument (Autonomy Diagnosis Scale: ADS) to measure multidimensional aspects of autonomy (Study 1 and 2), and (2) to investigate developmental changes in learners’ autonomy profiles employing the instrument developed in the previous studies (Study 3). The results concluded that practitioners might consider devoting additional attention to improving learning content to enable students assume more responsibility for their learning.

Free Research Field

応用言語学，第二言語習得研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究の結果，学習者の自律性が発達・変化するプロセスにはいくつかのパターンがあること，別の言い方をすれば，学習者の自律性を高めるためのフィードバックの効果には個人差があること，さらに自律性が変化・発達するには学習内容に対する認識が重要な役割を果たしていることが明らかとなった。学習内容に着目した研究・実践を行うことにより，実際の学習や指導に対して，これまで以上に具体的な示唆やアドバイスが可能になるものと期待される。