Trang 1 THAI NGUYNE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NGUYEN VIET ANH APPLYING LANGUAGE LOG ASSIGNMENTS TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS'''' A
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional functioning of colleges and universities across the globe has been disrupted in step with the UN (2020, p.2) statistics, “nearly 1.6 billion learners in over 190 countries and everyone continents are adversely laid low with the pandemic” Many educational institutes have turned to online teaching to take care of the continuity of learning, forcing teachers to transition to online delivery of classes in an exceedingly short period of your time
As a result, there has been a serious change in learning from face-to-face to the unique growth of e-learning, during which instruction is finished remotely via online or digital platforms
Learning design, in additional to specific delivery technology, is critical for successful online education Learning design is the framework that supports learning experiences It refers to deliberate choices about what, when, where and the way to show Decisions must to made about the content, structure, timing, pedagogical strategies, sequence of learning activities, and therefore the type and frequency of assessment within the course, still because the nature of technology accustomed support learning Many educational institutions in industrialized nations were already providing remote education and online courses with a high success rate before the epidemic (Anderson, 2011) Such educational institutions have spent a big amount of your time and energy planning and developing their instructional design with high quality learning materials, relevant media, and course delivery technologies to attain the goal of online teaching and learning Nevertheless, impoverished nations like Vietnam didn't have the luxurious of rummaging such a severe process of making and producing the emergency remote teaching online course (Hodges et al 2020) Due to COVID-19, it had been launched in an exceedingly short period of your time However, there are certain downsides to take care of, like the shortage of planned, required, bonding, face-to- face classroom activities (Serdyukova & Serdyukov, 2013), which can impair their capacity to find out autonomously On the negative side, students have limited communication with their instructor, few opportunities to collaborate with their peers, are restricted from engaging in face-to-face interactions with other participants in their learning community, and are unable to produce critical instantaneous feedback, which is well feasible during a classroom-situated environment Furthermore, the dearth of face-to-face contacts within the classroom discourages the formation of non-public ties, which limits the sense of belonging to a community and trust among peers This incident may have a detrimental impact on learning outcomes since learning could be a group action that necessitates involvement in a very group and speak to with group members (Wenden, 1997) during this case, Class Live Pro, SKYPE, Zoom, Whatapps group, telegram, Google Meeting, and other telecommunication technologies could also be beneficial However, they are not providing a considerable amount of genuine and true connection
Learner autonomy, additionally to good learning design, may be a key feature for successful distance learning or online teaching Learners are believed to own gained a degree of autonomy for self-learning and self-motivation for online learning in an idealistic sense In reality, many students might not have established sufficient autonomy for self-regulated learning Asian students, for instance, are frequently considered passive and hesitant to publicly dispute instructors' authority (Pierson,
1996, as cited in Chang & Geary, 2015) Lo (2010) discovered that Asian EFL students were less acquainted with the concept of independent learning and contributed little to the method of information creation Similarly, within the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Vietnam, Rukthong (2008) and Meesong and Jaroongkhongdach (2016) discovered that, while Vietnamese EFL learners were dependent on independent learning, they weren't ready for it Their excessive dependence on instructors' teaching, poor English proficiency, and insufficient learning methods to require charge of their learning were a number of the explanations limiting their participation in autonomous learning As a result, within these uncertain times when face-to-face contact seems improbable in the near future, instructors are forced to channelize a system that gives sufficient scaffolding and formative assistance to students with varying degrees of autonomy for successful online learning Learners, on the opposite hand, are struggling to traverse the lesson's material and remain motivated to "apply, assess, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and reflect on what they learn" (Anderson, 2011, p.33)
A log assignment, also observed as a learning log, could be a pedagogical tool which provides learners an area to stay a record of their learning process together with their reflection on learning activities, instructional methods, and learning experiences Students and teachers predominantly use a learning log as a learning and assessment tool The log allows students to precise, examine, and explore their learning experiences and provides teachers the power to assess the progress of the scholars and provides them feedback (Rickards, 2002) Furthermore, Lee (1997) asserted that a log includes a dual purpose for college students Firstly, it acts as a private record of learners‟ preparation and energy to be told, their reflection on their interpretation, and their extension and reformulation of data Secondly, it served because the source and place of their self-evaluation as they used the log to judge their own strategies and energy to find out Thus, a learning log has been beneficial in creating an environment where learners can freely record, evaluate, and examine their work and learning
Moreover, few studies are done to research learner‟s autonomy in online English learning in Vietnamese EFL learning context The shortage of literature over the difficulty inspires the researcher to hold out this study within the context of English learning at an English center in Ha Long city This study takes responsibility for looking at how the employment of learning and accessing tools like language-in- talk log assignment can aid Vietnamese students‟ autonomous learning of English conversation during COVID19.
Aim and Objectives
By doing action research, this study aims at identifying the effectiveness of using intalk log assignment in enhancing students‟ autonomy in online learning at Ha Long foreign language center as well as students‟ attitude toward language log assignment
To satisfy the above aim, the following objectives are deployed:
- To identify the effectiveness of using langaguage log assignments in enhancing students‟autonomy in online learning at Ha Long foreign language center;
- To explore the students‟ attitudes towards the application of using language log assignments in online learning.
Scope of the study
The study was carried out with 40 high school students at an English center where the researcher has been working for years as a teacher of English Because of the limit of time and some other conditions, the focus of this study in only on identifying the effectiveness of language log assignments in enhancing students‟ autonomy in online learning and the students‟ attitudes towards the application of using language log assignments in online language learning during 8 weeks The students, therefore, were hoped to expose to language log assignments during 8 week period and then answer two sets of questionnaires regarding effectiveness of using language log assignments and their opinions and attitudes towards the application of language log assignments.
Research questions
Based on the above aims and objectives, the study focuses on answering two main research questions:
(1) To what extent do language log assignments improve high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center?
(2) What is students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English
Definition of Terms
Learner Autonomy: The ability to take charge of one's own learning, which is specified as to have, and to hold the responsibility for all the decisions concerning all aspects of this learning (Holec, 1981, p 3)
According to Moon (2010), the log assignment is a pedagogical tool primarily used to enhance L2 learning beyond the classroom as it can accentuate favorable conditions for language learning, encourages independent learning, and supports metacognition.
Signification of the study
On completion, the study was expected to benefit not only the students but also teachers and researchers Moving from secondary school to high school, the students in the English center are expected to experience new teaching and learning styles in a new environment They are required to have a full grasp of language log in order to achieve their learning goals in class The result of this study, which showed the students‟ autonomy in online English learning, may be a starting point to help students recognize and develop this method to achieve their goals Besides, understanding of the extent that students apply this method also enabled teachers to choose and properly adjust their teaching materials, teaching activities and teaching styles to help students improve their academic results Furthermore, the study can be a reference for researchers who wish to study about the impacts of variables such as learning styles, learning strategies on language achievement.
Organization of the study
This thesis consists of 5 chapters
Chapter I Introduction includes aims and objectives, research questions, definitions of terms, and the significance of the study
Chapter IV Finding and Discussion
LITERATURE REVIEW
Learner autonomy
2.1.1 The definitions of learner autonomy
In fact, the term learner autonomy (LA) has been defined differently by different authors and researchers Holec's notion is used in the majority of learner autonomy definitions For example, both Little (2006, p.1) and Nunan (2003, p 193) quote Holec, who defines self-regulated learning as the "ability to take control of one's (own) learning." According to Benson (2011), "on the fundamental concept of learner autonomy, there has been a surprising degree of agreement around the idea that autonomy entails learners exerting greater control over their learning" (p.16) Furthermore, Benson (2007) argues that variants on this meaning exist, such as
"take control of" being often substituted with "take responsibility for." To put it another way, the ability to govern one's own learning implies that the learner accepts full responsibility for their own education However, because language is a social instrument for communication, this definition is limited because language learning involves the potential of sharing learning responsibilities with others Language learning is usually a collaborative effort involving a group of individuals
According to Sanz and Villanueva (2002), learner autonomy has been a key notion in education in general and language acquisition in particular throughout the last two decades Similarly, the current European Council standards for teaching and studying foreign languages stress the necessity of being able to control one's own learning This involves the establishment of a different foundation that emphasizes the need of "learning how to learn" (Bailly, Gremmo and Riley 2002) Autonomy, in general, and autonomous language acquisition, in particular, are enigmas Autonomy, according to Benson (2001), is a complex concept with various aspects and forms that alter for different persons and individuals in different situations As a result, the words "self-instruction," "self-access," "self-study," "self-education,"
"out-of-class learning," and "remote learning" are all used to describe autonomy However, as Benson (2007) points out in his cutting-edge article, there is a clear and agreed-upon trend towards blurring the distinction between 'classroom' and 'out-of-class' applications because the concept's rationale challenges the assumption that languages are normally acquired in classrooms and classroom-based learning is the norm Out of class learning, in this sense, is a way of practice within the idea of
Learner autonomy is defined as having a feeling of self-discipline in learning and being actively engaged in learning tasks Furthermore, they are always on time, doing tasks on time and to the best of their abilities, such as memorizing lessons, completing assignments, fulfilling school obligations, assisting friends in progressing together, and so on People that are self-disciplined in their study are also constantly lively, creative, and involved in group work
However, the definition of Benson (2007)‟s definition was applied in this study due to it is suitable for an environment where students and teachers only interact through a computer screen
Four elements of the advantages of learner autonomy in out-of-class language learning activities are addressed
For starters, an out-of-class language-learning setting allows students to get more language practice and helps them become more successful learners
Second, effective metacognitive strategies help students become successful learners
Third, some emotional factors play a role in students' enhanced belief in their capacity to learn
Fourth, students' learning interdependence helps to the development of a helpful learning community
2.1.3 The roles of Learner Autonomy in English Language learning
Researchers are starting to investigate how these domains of knowledge and beliefs interact with technological integration One research sought to examine students' views of the major applications, advantages, and difficulties associated with everyday usage of the iPad in class (Karsenti & Fievez,2013) Researchers collaborated with 18 schools in Quebec, Canada, to develop and execute a protocol to better understand the uses, advantages, and difficulties of iPads in the classroom
As a result, researchers uncovered a slew of positive outcomes Increased student motivation, greater access to information, device portability, ease of taking notes on PDF documents, ease of organizing work, quality of students' presentations, greater collaboration among students and between students and teachers, more creativity, variety of resources used, students' ability to work at their own pace, and development of student information technology skills were some of the benefits of iPad use in the classroom (Karsenti and Fievez, 2013)
Another example of knowledge, abilities, and attitudes that enhance technological literacy is the emphasis on the necessity of student autonomy in effective technology adoption Clarke and Svanaes (2014) offered a comprehensive evaluation of the literature on tablet use in education Many themes emerged from the research, including the fact that one-to-one tablet programs allowed students to personalize their learning.This customization aided learner autonomy and metacognitive abilities even more Similarly, tablet mobility enabled better communication and cooperation among students Other advantages included improved student independence, involvement, and motivation (Clarke & Svanaes, 2014)
2.1.4 The definitions of autonomous learning
The notions of autonomous learning and independent learning are sometimes interlinked and have come to play an increasingly important role in language education Independent language learning is characterized by optimizing or extending learner choice, focusing on the needs of individual learners, not the interests of a teacher or an institution, and the choice of decision-making to learners It is also learner centered which views learners as individuals with needs and rights, who can develop and exercise responsibility for their learning Independent learners are expected to develop the ability to engage with, interact with, and derive benefit from learning environments which are not directly mediated by a teacher Thus independent language learning can refer to a context or setting for language learning (Benson & Voller, 1997; Wright, 2005) in which learners develop skills in the target language often, though not always, individually
Within the research literature though, the relationship between independence and autonomy is not so fluid: Little (1991) states that learner autonomy emphasizes
„interdependence‟ over „dependence‟ in learning, whereas Dickinson (1994) associates independence with active responsibility for one‟s learning and autonomy with the idea of learning alone He sees autonomy as involving “an ability to operate independently with the language and use it to communicate personal meanings in real, unpredictable situation‟
Autonomous learning essentially refers to learner responsibility for their own learning process; however, the term autonomy has come to be used in at least five ways: for situations in which learners study entirely on their own; for a set of skills that can be learned and applied in self-directed learning; for an inborn capacity that is suppressed by institutional education; for the exercise of learners' responsibility for their own learning; for the right of learner (Ridley, 1991)
The three basic pedagogical principles which underlines autonomy in language learning is learner involvement (engaging learners to share responsibility for the learning process), learner reflection (helping learners to think critically when they plan, monitor and evaluate their learning) and appropriate use of target language (using the target language as the principal medium of language learning) Holec
(1981), Allwright (1990) and Little (1991) theorize that autonomous learners can be seen as those who are able to reflect on their own learning through knowledge about learning and who are willing to learn in collaboration with others These learners understand the purpose of their learning program, explicitly accept responsibility for their learning, share in the setting of learning goals, take initiatives in planning and executing learning activities, and regularly review their learning and evaluate its effectiveness In other words, there is a consensus that the practice of learner autonomy requires insight, a positive attitude, a capacity for reflection, and a readiness to be proactive in self-management and in interaction with others The learner has to be equipped and empowered to exercise his autonomy as and when it is required It is at this juncture that the (continuing) teacher`s role in promoting the psychological attributes and practical abilities involved in learner autonomy and in engaging room practice becomes crucial (Benson 2001, Dam 1995) Supportive engagement of learners‟ existing autonomy (by the teacher) can be seen as an important basis for its progressive development; indeed, the notion that learners have the power and right to learn for themselves is seen by many proponents as a fundamental tenet (Smith 2003)
2.1.5 Autonomous out-of-class language learning
Out-of-class learning refers to students' efforts to find opportunities for language acquisition and use outside of the classroom (Lamb 2004), which, together with taking advantage of opportunities to study in a classroom setting, is a factor in language learning success (Crabbe 1993) Out-of-class learning is a relatively new area in the literature on autonomy, according to Benson (2007, 26), and current studies indicate that students engage in out-of-class learning activities more frequently than their teachers are aware of, often demonstrating considerable creativity in situations where out-of-class learning opportunities appear to be limited
Some researchers operationalized the idea of autonomy as a matter of degree The study of Nunan (1997) suggested five models of autonomy such as awareness, involvement, intervention, creation, and transcendence These models could report activities of leaner development in textbooks To sum up Nunan‟ (1997) overall idea is to make learners aware of pedagogy and its implications in their learning Furthermore, three stage model of autonomy was introduced by Littlewood (1997) which included language acquisition, learning approach and personal development Language acquisition refers to an ability to operate independently and use language to communicate personal meanings in real life In classroom setting, it engaged learners who are able to take responsibility for their own learning The three stage model of Littlewood (1997) can be simply put as autonomy as communicator, autonomy as a learner and autonomy as a person Simultaneously, autonomy of three stage model was presented by Macaro (1997) which involved „autonomy of language competence, autonomy of language learning competence, and autonomy of choice and action‟ Benson (2001) attempted to model learner autonomy which engaged control over learning under umbrella of important headings such as learning management, cognitive processing, and the content of learning However, Benson (2006) addressed this approach limited to the framework of language learning
2.1.7 Pedagogical perspectives of learner autonomy
Role of Technology in Autonomous Language Learning
The concept of learner autonomy has become popular in foreign language learning in recent years, thanks to a pedagogical shift in language teaching to communicative language teaching (CLT), which encourages students to actively engage and take charge of their learning (Hafner & Miller, 2011; Luzón & Ruiz,
2010) Although there are several definitions of learner autonomy, academics generally agree that autonomy includes learners having more control over their learning (Benson, 2011) Holec (1988) described learner autonomy as the ability to take charge of one's own learning, whereas Little defined it as the "capacity for detachment, critical thought, decision-making, and independent action" (1991, p
4) However, language teachers are frequently bewildered when deciding whether or not to apply the autonomous approach in the educational process due to the diverse and numerous interpretations of autonomous learning Despite the fact that the term "learner autonomy" has numerous definitions and interpretations, Benson
(2011) argued that language learner autonomy varies in degree, implying that even novice learners may acquire autonomy and that the intensity of autonomy varies from low to high Additionally, previous study has discovered that learners might be in various stages of becoming independent or autonomous learners (Nunan,
1997) Vietnamese students, according to Hammond and Gao (2002), have a low level of autonomy since they tend to listen to and accept instructors' instructions Western students, on the other hand, actively participate in and contribute to the development of knowledge As a result, "autonomy is a relative notion, with varying degrees of autonomy from one context to the next" (Farmer & Sweeney,
While the degree of autonomy varies depending on the setting, academics believe that new technologies are now allowing EFL learners to study a language outside of the classroom, therefore overcoming geographical restrictions According to Benson and Chik (2010), new internet platforms offer a suitable setting for independent language acquisition More significantly, the use of technology in language teaching and learning promotes learner autonomy by giving students easy access to a variety of materials, tools, and contexts for non-classroom study (Benson, 2011) Benson and Chik (2010) reported on the English language learning histories of two Hong Kong users of English as a Foreign Language in a 'globalized online' space designed for video, image, audio, and text sharing, who attributed their high-level proficiency to interaction with their preferred media and other members of the virtual community Similarly, Murray's (2008) research of Japanese informal English learners found that exposure to pervasive English language pop culture resulted in significant gains in English despite their lack of interest in English as a school topic Cole and Vanderplank (2016) and Sockett (2014) explored how the increasing availability of new technologies fosters student autonomy and improves English proficiency They discovered that it enables a substantial percentage of autonomous, informal learners to acquire a high degree of competency in foreign language situations
While technology provides several potentials for autonomous language acquisition, it does not come without limitations According to Holec (1998, as referenced in Bailly, 2010), motivation and simple access to online resources are insufficient circumstances for students whose learning process is driven by the societal promotion of teaching and heteronomy over learning and autonomy Researchers argued that autonomy is primarily a Western cultural notion that emphasizes independence (Schmenk, 2005, as quoted in Chik, Aoki, & Smith, 2018); collectivist Asian EFL learners may find the concept challenging to incorporate into their learning Lo (2010) discovered that Asian EFL students were less aware of the notion of autonomous learning and viewed learning as a product rather than a process Several studies have been conducted to assess EFL learners' preparedness for autonomous learning (Doyle & Parrish 2012; Guo 2011; Inozu, Sahinkarakas, & Yumru, 2010) Their research found that, while EFL learners had a positive attitude toward autonomous learning, they lacked basic learner autonomy premises such as learner control, decision-making ability, the ability to take responsibility for one's own learning, and the ability to critically evaluate one's own progress (Little, 2004) Bruner, Shimray, and Sinwongsuwat (2014) observed Vietnamese students' reliance on their teachers, as well as their unwillingness to take responsibility of their own learning owing to inadequate English competence (Rukthong, 2008) As a result, it may be difficult for Vietnamese EFL learners to become totally autonomous Vietnamese students in the Vietnamese EFL environment may benefit from
„reactive autonomy' as a first step toward proactive autonomy Proactive learners initiate independent learning activities and have greater control over their learning Reactive learners, on the other hand, are responsive to a task, and teachers aid to design a learning direction to which learners will respond by selecting preferred techniques, resources, and goals (Littlewood, 1999) Despite the fact that Vietnamese EFL learners may not have established sufficient autonomy for selfregulated learning, the epidemic has left little choice but to embrace online learning As a result, learners have little choice but to drastically alter their learning strategy to accommodate the new learning environment As a result, given the COVID19 mandated teaching and learning method, it is critical to build an effective instructional design that incorporates learning tools such as log assignments to encourage student autonomy A suitable student-centered pedagogy should be designed by taking into account the benefits of specific technology for autonomous language acquisition as well as the implications for learners (Schwienhorst, 2007 as cited in Hafner & Miller, 2011) In the development of language learning autonomy, a teacher's direction and three key pedagogical concepts are used: 1) learner participation, 2) learner reflection, and 3) target language usage (Little, 2004)
2.3 The role of welog assignments in enhancing EFL students’ English language learning
For a variety of reasons, welog assignments have been argued to have potential usefulness in English language teaching Welog assignments allow for genuine dialogue in an authentic learning environment The writing's audience is not restricted to the teacher, but also includes classmates and individuals outside of the classroom, including a worldwide audience As a result, Welog assignments enhance awareness of the importance of authorship and audience The writers submit ideas, thoughts, events, and information, and readers can respond directly to the authors' posts (Oravec, 2002; Ward, 2004; Kavaliauskien, Anusien, and Maeikien, 2006; Du & Wagner, 2007; Benson & Reyman, 2009) According to research, log assignments increase students' writing skills and abilities, create an interesting and stimulating learning environment for learners in reading and writing (Pinkman, 2005), and encourage learner autonomy (Ward, 2004).
Log assignment as an autonomous learning and assessment tool
2.4.1 The definitions of Log assignment
According to Moon (2010), the log assignment is a pedagogical tool primarily used to enhance L2 learning beyond the classroom as it can accentuate favorable conditions for language learning, encourages independent learning, and supports metacognition
2.4.2 Log assignment as an autonomous learning and assessment tool
For the sake of this study, a log assignment, also known as a learning log, is a pedagogical tool that allows students to keep track of their learning progress as well as their reflections on learning activities, instructional strategies, and learning experiences A learning log is generally used as a learning and assessment tool by students and teachers Students may use the log to communicate, analyze, and explore their learning experiences, while teachers can track their progress and give feedback (Rickards, 2002) Furthermore, according to Lee (1997), a log provides two purposes for students To begin with, it acts as a personal record of students' study preparation and work, as well as their comments on their interpretation, knowledge extension, and reformulation Second, it served as a source and site for students' self-evaluation, as they used the diary to evaluate their own learning strategies and efforts As a consequence, a learning log has contributed in the construction of a space where students may freely record, assess, and analyze their work and learning Academics have also proposed using an asynchronous activity, such as a log assignment, as an evaluation tool to motivate and manage students' online learning Assessment, from the instructor's perspective, comprises "getting to know our students and the quality of their learning" (Ramsden 2003, p.180, as cited in Garrison, 2011) Teachers, on the other hand, are continually engaged in synchronous online education as a result of COVID-19 and are unable to perform face-to-face oral or written assessments As a result, measuring students' progress on a daily basis may be challenging given the strain caused by the abrupt shift to online education An instructor's job requires more than simply teaching; it also entails providing constructive and relevant evaluative feedback to help students acquire the metacognitive talents and strategies they'll need to take charge of their own learning (Garrison, 2011) Log assignments are a sort of formative assessment that allows teachers to examine students' self-regulation Summative evaluation, on the other hand, such as standardized exams with no feedback, promotes memorizing and a superficial learning style Students may participate in discussions, receive more thorough feedback, and learn in new ways with the log assignment (Entwistle,
2000, as cited in Garrison, 2011) In the classroom, a log assignment encourages students to practice self-evaluation and reflection A log assignment is largely used in the EFL environment to foster individual learning, in addition to encouraging and monitoring language acquisition Learners write information and reflections in logs about various aspects of their learning, such as their reactions to a lesson and the methodology used, out-of-class activities carried out to learn English, and other aspects of the learning experience related to a specific language course, according to Litzler (2014) According to Lee and Cha (2017), adopting listening logs for extended listening in a self-regulated situation not only increased learner autonomy but also improved learners' ability to synthesize, communicate thoughts, and improve their English proficiency Students can develop learner autonomy by taking responsibility for their own learning, evaluating their progress, and reporting on the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process outside of the classroom with a log assignment (Chang & Geary, 2015; Litzler & Bakieva, 2017).
Student‟s attitude in language learning
Generally, attitudes are considered as a tool of judgement which evaluates whether individuals, objects, events, activities, ideas, or just about anything in a person‟s environment are positive or negative Wenden (1991) classified attitude into three elements, namely cognitive, affective, and behavioral The first one, the mental component, comprises the beliefs and thoughts about an object, people, behavior, event, and knowledge It is supposed to have a great impact on the learning because its relation to personal perception The second element which is called the affective component contains the emotions and feelings towards an object These influences one‟s preferences, for example, to stand for or against, or to like or dislike The last one, the behavioral aspect, involves people‟s actions or disposition or special in particular situations
In terms of language acquisition, attitude, in general are often categorized into three types: attitude towards the language, attitude towards the native speaker of the language, and attitude towards language learning Particularly, this study puts stress on the third type, namely attitude towards language learning Ajzen and Fishbein
(1980) states that “attitudes are a function of beliefs” Supported this theory, the belief that performing a task will mainly bring about positive outcomes leads to a desirable attitude towards the task On the opposite hand, mistrust of the success of performing a task will cause an unfavorable attitude Thus, if participants, for instance assume that authentic materials will have a significant impact on their reading motivation, then this method is bound to their benefit Attitudes, once developed, can form students' thoughts, understanding, feelings and behaviour Hence, the writer applies Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) and Wenden's (1991) definition of attitude to explore the students attitudes towards authentic materials application
2.5.2 Importance of attitude in language learning:
It is clear that learners' attitudes have a significant impact on the learning of a second language In the teaching and learning of a language, the assessment of attitudes is critical Because attitude is taught and may be unlearned, Smith (1971) suggests that it exists during the training process It can be taught since it has been learnt It is possible to learn to enjoy a foreign language "There is no such thing as a learner who is born enjoying or disliking it." Students' negative or positive attitudes about the second language are learned, according to Ellis (1994) As a result, the instructor should focus on changing the pupils' attitudes, as their attitudes may either help or impede the learning process
Nunan (1991) agreed that "students may achieve learning success if they are encouraged and inspired to acquire the appropriate attitudes, motivation, and learning interests in the language, culture, and learning environment."
In fact, students' unfavorable attitudes may be changed for the better in order to improve their learning outcomes Having a positive attitude toward language acquisition is seen to be a good start in the learning process
In summary, students' attitudes play a critical role in making the greatest use of learning and teaching output, and it is one of the most essential elements influencing second language learning success It would be relevant if the researcher could use cooperative learning to assist her students build and maintain good attitudes in the language classroom.
Previous studies
After a careful review of literature, it is clear that there are some researchers who have conducted studies about autonomy in learning language and language log assignments Most of the findings of these investigations demonstrate the advantages of language log assignments Students‟ autonomy was also improved after working with this application not only with speaking skills but also with other language skills such as reading, listening, and writing These authors research results can be mentioned as follows
Firstly, it is necessary to mention a study from Chang and Geary (2015) in Taiwan about using self- assessment learning logs to promote L2 learner autonomy Learners' participation in out-of-class activities via a log assignment showed their aim to become autonomous learners while also enhancing their autonomy, according to previous study The participants completed the self-assessment learning log entries on a biweekly basis, reporting on their out-of-class activities to improve their English Learning logs were shown to be beneficial in increasing learner autonomy, and students viewed learning logs favorably
Similarly, Litzler and Bakieva (2017) looked at how students felt about using learning logs to increase learner autonomy in foreign language study Students showed their interest in the learning logs because they helped them develop autonomy when working with English outside of class, produced self-awareness about learning processes, and offered them with new ways to study a language, according to the research According to Litzler (2014), a log assignment in foreign language classes is useful to implement since students respect learning logs and it adds greatly to the development of learners' autonomy
Finally, Deng (2007) offered an article that demonstrated how to examine learning autonomy and log assignments using a technique The questionnaire was initially devised by Zhang & Li, according to the paper, which was published in Asian EFL Journal (2004, p.23) The original instrument is made up of two parts: 21 closed ended items with multiple choice and Likert scale choices for instructors, and 21 open ended items with multiple choice and Likert scale options for students The closed ended statements included a Likert scale with a spectrum from A to E, as well as some multiple choice questions However, the researcher decided to only administer the first section of the questionnaire because interviewing two professors would not add to the study's well-documentation There are a variety of reasons why you would choose to skip this study's questionnaire To begin with, learner autonomy is not something that can be measured all at once As a result, the number of surveys used to measure it would be limited Working on a longitudinal research was not an option because the survey was administered in the midst of the semester This questionnaire found to be the most acceptable among those that examine students' current perspectives on their degree of autonomy while teaching English Another reason for the researcher's choice of the current questionnaire was that the items comprising it "were revised and predicted on the basis of the learning strategies classified by Oxford (1990, p 17), Wenden (1998, p 34-52) and O'Malley and Chamot (1990)" (as cited in Dafei, 2007), as the second part of the study would include the students' coping strategies used while establishing oral communication
Based on the previous above, log assignments deal with learners‟ autonomy in learning language However, the researcher has not found research whose targets were high school students studying in English centers with pre-intermediate and intermediate levels Unlike students in university whose level of English is much higher, students in high school often have more troubles with English skills due to lack of motivation and interest in studying Furthermore, the previous studies did not mention the situation where students must study online especially during the lockdown of the Covid-19 Consequently, the researcher would like to conduct this study to determine the effectiveness of utilizing log assignments in enhancing high school learners‟ autonomy in studying English.
Summary
This chapter has addressed some major issues related to the learners‟ autonomy that set the theoretical background for current study Some understandings about language log assignments and learners‟ autonomy were presented first The writer decided to choose the definition of autonomy from Benson (2007) as responsibility and taking control of students in studying are presented are considered for referents for components of studying-English motivation Next, the researcher presented role of Technology in Autonomous language learning, the role of weblog assignments in enhancing EFL students‟ English language learning, and log assignment as an attitude toward language learning Attitude toward language log assignments plays a major role in determining the amount of time students spend on studying English autonomously and engaging in log assignments with some given tasks The last one presented previous studies on using log assignments to enhance learners‟ autonomy and their findings
Based on the existing literature, the researcher had a firm background to carry out her research that would be described in the next chapter In the next chapter, research questions, description of variables, data collection instruments, subjects, materials, and data collection procedure would be presented.
METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher decided to conduct the study using the steps of an action research to evaluate the effectiveness of using language log assignments in enhancing students' autonomy in online learning at Ha Long foreign language center and to explore the students' attitudes toward the application of using language log assignments in online learning
Action research is conducted as a collaborative partnership between the researcher and a group in an organization or community who participate in the process of the action research Research proceeds as a cycle of joint planning, action, observation and reflection, where the reflection phase paves the way for further cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting in a spiral of learning Different writers have used different terminology for the steps in the action research cycle Coghlan and Brannick (2010) classify them as 'constructing,' 'planning action,' 'doing action,' and 'evaluating action.' Some unique characteristics of action research when the researcher decide to choose it and it is those characteristics that in many ways represent the core strength of action research Coghlan (2004), for example, claims that action research „has the potential to confront the self-perpetuating limitations [such as practical relevance] that befall traditional research approaches Writing in the context of postgraduate research, Dick (2002) suggests that an action research project can give researchers the opportunity to improve their own professional practice, to ameliorate the situation investigated and to gain their degree Such arguments may be particularly relevant in the case of practicing managers researching in their own organization
Customarily, the role of research for teachers has been “that of a consumer of someone else‟s research results” or as “the object” of what is being researched, instead of an active participant in the research design and data collection (Johnson
& Button, 2000, p 108) Action research provides teachers the opportunity to devise an intentional and systematic plan in order to closely examine their practice Conducting action research puts teachers in control of their professional development When teachers have ownership of the research process, specifically action research, learning can occur in numerous ways including trying new strategies, evaluating existing programs, expanding instructional repertoires, engaging in professional development, and most importantly helping teachers develop new pedagogical knowledge (Hensen, 1996) Based on the means and the purposes of the study, the researcher has decided to carry out the study as action research The study will follow a cycle of action research including:
Taken from Ferrance (2000, p.9) Action Research Northeast and Islands Regional
Educational Laboratory at Brown University
The above cycle shows that the study was done the following steps:
The first step is identifying a focus of interest or a problem, that is selecting a theme in the learning process to concentrate on and to make it more tangible so that it can be changed or improved easily Before the pandemic of COVID-19, the researcher found that students‟ autonomy learning was quite poor because most of them only passively sit and took note, rarely contributed to the English lessons even when they did not understand Thus, the discussion with other teachers in the department and my own teaching experience reveals the fact that learner autonomy is very low For this reason, this aspect is the research focus on the study
The second step is collecting data This step aims to collect initial data for the action plan In this step, the level of the students‟ autonomy in online class was identified by questionnaires for the students at the Ha Long center before starting a new course The third step is analyzing data Based on the analysis of the collected data from questionnaires, the hypotheses were formed to develop a plan of an action with an intervention It was hypothesized that if the students apply log assignments in learning English, their level of autonomy will increase and they have positive attitude towards log assignments
The fourth step is planning action That means after the problem is identified, it is time to develop a plan of action to enhancing student autonomy The action plan was implemented for 8 weeks of the course in Ha Long foreign language center
Finally, after experiencing an 8-week course applying language log assignments, students were invited to do the same questionnaire to measure levels of student‟s learning autonomy, and another questionnaire to show their attitudes about the language log assignments The results of the questionnaire one were analyzed and compared with one before the intervention.
Subjects and locale of the study
The subject of the study was 40 high school students at an English center, including
20 girls and 20 boys from 16-18 years old They are attending a 4-month course to get B1 level and came from 2 disparate classes with the same level of English competency and number of learners
The study was carried out in from February 2022 to April 2022 in a 4-month course, so their autonomy in learning and their attitude about in-talk log assignment was identified and measured regardless of the influences of the teaching curriculum.
Data collection instruments
Data collection instruments utilized in this study were questionnaires According to Nunan (1992), a questionnaire is a data collection tool that consists of open and/or closed questions and other probes that need a response from individuals Richards et al (1994) described questionnaires as an descriptive method of gathering information regarding beliefs, attitudes, motivation, and preferences, as well as allowing a teacher to get a great quantity of information in a short period of time In addition, similar to Richards, Seliger and Shohamy (1995) claimed that questionnaires are an appealing way of gathering data on phenomena that are not easily noticed, such as motivation, attitude, linguistic strategy use, and so on
Questionnaires were used as one of the key data collecting tools in this study since they not only give information obtained from a big number of participants but also assist to gain information about many types of difficulties
In order to achieve the aims of the study and collect necessary data for the study, two sets of questionnaires were delivered for students:
Questionnaire 1 adapted from Joshi (2011) was used to collect data about levels of learner autonomy which help to evaluate the effectiveness of log assignment in enhancing learner autonomy It includes 15 items about learner awareness, self- efforts, broader autonomous activities, elf-esteem, use of reference materials, self- reward and use of technology in learning It was delivered before and after an intervention of log assignment to measure the effectiveness of log assignment in enhancing student autonomy in online language learning It used a scale in which 1 represents never, 2 represents rarely, 3 represents sometimes, 4 represents often and
5 represents always to elicit students‟ responses
Questionnaire 2 adapted from Lee (2011) including 12 items was used to collect data about students‟ attitude about language log assignment in language learning It used a 5-point Likert scale in which 1 represents strongly disagree, 2 represents disagree, 3 represents neutral, 4 represents agree and 5 represents strongly agree to elicit students‟ responses in four areas: metacognitive (items 1-3), cognitive (items 4- 6), social (items 7-9) and affective (items 10-12) dimensions of online learning
It was delivered after finishing each cycle of an action research.
Data collection procedure
To find out the answer for the first research question, initial data about the level of student autonomy was collected from questionnaire one which was delivered to 40 students online They were carefully instructed to answer the questions The time these students need to finish the questionnaire was noted The researcher presented at the research site to explain the goal and design of the study The students were told that their participation in the research is voluntary, is assured of the privacy of their answers, and that their responses did not influence their course scores
During an 8-week course, language log assignments were implemented Each week, the participants selected a certain topic and record a video of them talking about it, such as: environment, education, economy, etc During the task, participants were also required to fill out a worksheet asking them to specify the source of their speaking materials, write an outline of the video describing the significance, causes and effects of the topic To complete the task, students needed to reflect on what they learned from the topic, what kind of language is used to deliver the message for the public, how the use of language is shaped by the speakers, what social platforms they use to posting videos, what feedback they might gain from the audiences
Participants submited 8 log assignments over the course of 8 weeks And they were encouraged to give their comment about their classmates and make any questions for them in a weblog
At the same time, teachers had a table of criteria to assess the quality of the participants when conducting language in-talk assignment, such as: the coherence and cohesion, lexical resources, fluency, the quality of the content, pronunciation
After implementing the action plan in 8 weeks, the researcher continued to collect data to evaluate an intervention Therefore, the students were invited to do the questionnaire 1 again after the application of log assignment and questionnaire 2 to explore students‟ attitude toward using log assignment.
Data analytical method
After being collected, data from the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS 18.0 by descriptive data Then, action research was calculated to see the overall extent of students‟ learning autonomy.
Summary
This chapter describes the methodology and procedures utilized in the implementation of the study The researcher decided to conduct the study using the steps of an action research to evaluate the effectiveness of using language log assignments in enhancing students' autonomy in online learning at Ha Long foreign language center and to explore the students' attitudes toward the application of using language log assignments in online learning The subject of the study was 40 high school students at an English center, including 20 girls and 20 boys from 16-
18 years old The study was carried out in from February 2022 to April 2022 in a 4- month course Questionnaires were used as one of the key data collecting tools in this study and two sets of questionnaires were delivered for students To find out the answer for the first research question, initial data about the level of student autonomy was collected from questionnaire one which was delivered to 40 students online During an 8-week course, language log assignments were implemented After implementing the action plan in 8 weeks, the researcher continued to collect data to evaluate an intervention Therefore, the students were invited to do the questionnaire 1 again after the application of log assignment and questionnaire 2 to explore students‟ attitude toward using log assignment After being collected, data from the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS 18.0 by descriptive data.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Description of the action plan
Firstly, the author supplemented students with knowledge related to web log The students needed to know that Weblogs provide a format for critiques of other Web materials along with various personal touches They are structured like journals, with their segments identified by time and date The weblog format allows developers (often known as “bloggers”) to work either alone or in teams It supports a wide range of personal expression and interaction as individuals access and comment on one another‟s weblogs Along with critiques of various articles and web sites, weblog development can also incorporate “day-in-the-life” narratives and other forms of personal information
Secondly, the author asked students to make their own log assignments as the following sample (which was given as in Appendix 3)
WEEK TOPIC SKILLS DUE DATE ASSIGNMENT NOTES
Students received exercises via link of google docs in Exercises column Then, they needed to finish exercise before due date and assigned them via a link, which was created by themselves There were many types of link they used such as googles docs, google sheets, google drive,… Moreover, they got teachers‟ feedback and peer‟s comments by clicking links in Notes column
The author delivered eight exercises which was respective to 8 weeks, which included two listening exercises, two writing tasks, two reading assignments and two speaking practices, to students The first listening, reading, writing, speaking exercises were delivered from 20 th February 2022 to 27 th February 2022 Students had 1 week to finish their product Only when finishing listening exercise, students received reading assignments and after finishing this task, students received writing ones and the last tasks was a writing paragraph The topic of each exercise on each week was different, which required students to do research about the information that related to the topic given After that, they had to prepare an English product by themselves with an aim to post it on their personal channel Then, the following listening, reading, writing, speaking exercises were delivered from 27 th February
2022 to 17 th April 2022 with the same process of students‟ producing The reason for delivering tasks in an orderly manner is to help students be aware of learning autonomously in language with guidance and do the task in a reasonable way.
Data collected after the intervention
Questionnaire 1 was used again to collect data about students‟ levels of autonomy after action plan The results from questionnaire show that total mean score of students‟ autonomy in online learning at Ha Long foreign language center that was found to be 3.329 indicates a moderate level of learner autonomy among the participants It can be concluded that the students‟ autonomy in online learning at
Ha Long foreign language center was moderate Moreover, the descriptive statistic result is shown in Table 4.3 as bellows:
Table 4.3 Descriptive statistics of students’ autonomy after intervention
Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
Table 4.3 indicates that in general, students had a general level in participating actively in learning English as the mean of Always is 14.07, which indicates that in average, about 14 students chose Always option in each item And around 13 students out of 40 students often joined actively in the English lessons as the mean of Often is 13.13 The result reveals that about 9 students sometimes participated in English lessons as the means of Sometimes is 9.40 It is noticeable that the mean of Never is 1.12, which indicate only 1 student never actively learned English in class after the action plan Moreover, the mean of Rarely is 2.27, which refers that approximately 2 students in the class rarely participated actively after the action plan The number of students never and rarely participated actively in class reduced enormously and students tended to be more actively in class
The results of level of learner autonomy in each item were demonstrated as in Table 4.4:
Table 4.4 Level of students’ autonomy after intervention
Dimension Items Mean SD Interpretation
I think I have the ability to learn English well 3.38 705 Moderate
I make decisions and set goals of my learning 3.20 464 Moderate
Dimension Items Mean SD Interpretation
I make good use of my free time in English study 4.03 545 High
I preview before the class (see summary, lessons etc.) 3.58 483 High
In each lesson, I try to use every opportunity to take part in the activities where and when I can speak in English
I speak confidently in front of the people 3.10 709 Moderate
I make notes and summaries of my lessons 3.85 4.753 High
I talk to the teachers and friends outside the course in English
I practice English outside the course also such as: record my own voice; speak to other people in English
I use audio-visual materials to develop my speech such as: listen to VOA, watch English movies, read English newspapers etc
I attend different seminars, training courses, conferences to
Dimension Items Mean SD Interpretation improve my English
I note my strengths and weaknesses in learning English and improve them
Besides the contents prescribed in the course, I read extra materials in advance
When I make progress in learning, I reward myself such as: buy new things, celebrate parties etc
I use internet and computers to study and improve English 4.08 572 High
Table 4.4 indicates that students had a moderate learner awareness A moderate number of students thought that they had the ability to learn English well as the mean of item 1 “I think I had the ability to learn English” equals 3.38, which is bigger than 2.50 Positively, in item 2 “I make decisions and set goals of my learning.” and item 3 “I make good use of my free time in studying English.”, students had a moderate and high level of learner awareness With a mean equal 3.20, some students made decisions and set goals of his/ her learning A large number of students made good use of their free time in studying English as the mean of item 3 equals 4.03
Regarding self – efforts, students kept a high or moderate level in item 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 The mean of item 4 equals 3.58, which implies that many students previewed before the course by seeing summary, lessons, etc, In item 5 “In each lesson, I try to use every opportunity to take part in the activities where and when I can speak in English.”, that the mean equals 3.50 indicates that there were abundance of students tried to use every opportunity to take part in the activities where and when they could speak in English The number of students made notes and summaries of his/ her lessons are moderate as the mean of item 7 “I make notes and summaries of my lessons.”is 3.10 Noticeably, the number of students speaking confidently in front of the people increases appreciably as the mean of item 6 “I speak confidently in front of the people.” is 3.85 and a smaller number of students talked to the teachers and friends outside the course in English as the mean of item 8 “I talk to the teachers and friends outside the course in English.” is 3.13
Broader autonomous activities were also explored in the next three items Item 9 “I practice English outside the course also such as: record my own voice; speak to other people in English.” records a mean = 3.08, which reflects that the number of students recorded his/ her own voice or spoke to other people in English has increased Moreover, the mean of item 10 “I use audio-visual materials to develop my speech such as listen to VOA, watch English movies, read English newspapers etc.” equals 4.05, which shows the fact that a large number students used audio- visual materials to develop his/ her speech Furthermore, a smaller number of students attended different seminars, training courses, conferences to improve his/her English as the mean of item 11 equals 2.50, which is the lowest mean in the questionnaire
The questionnaire investigated the students‟ self-esteem in item 12 “: I note my strengths and weaknesses in learning English and improve them.” The mean of this item was recorded as 2.78 After the action plan, the teachers found a number of students noted his/ her strengths and weaknesses in learning English and improved them
Regarding use of reference materials, the mean of item 13 “Besides the contents prescribed in the course, I read extra materials in advance.” equals 3.15, which revealed that a moderate number of students read extra materials in advance
Students in Ha Long language center reacted negatively in item 14 “When I make progress in learning, I reward myself such as: buy new things, celebrate parties etc.” The mean of this item equaling 2.53 refers that students had a moderate level of self-reward
Last but not least, the mean of item 15 “I use internet and computers to study and improve English.” is 4.08, which is the highest mean in the questionnaire It implies high level in students‟ use of technology in Learning A good number of students have used internet and computers to study and improve English
To find out the differences in the results before and after intervention, paired samples test was conducted The data in pre-intervention questionnaire was denoted as 1 and data in post-intervention questionnaire was demoted as 2 The result is shown as bellows:
Table 4.5 states that there is a statistically significant difference between before and after the intervention for each level of learner autonomy The difference is statistically significant as p_value is smaller than 0.05 in each level In average, the number of students who chose never decreased nearly 8 students while the difference in the number of students choosing rarely is greater – a decrease of 9 students The number of students who chose sometimes represents a decrease of 2 students Positively, students chose often records an increase of nearly 8 people in average and surprisingly, students who chose always increases exponentially by 12 students in average.
Data collected in questionnaire 2
Questionnaire 2 attempted to answer the research question 2 “What is students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning?” find out students‟ perceptions of benefits of using blog activities The survey consisted of 12 statements using a 5-point Likert scale in which 1 represents strongly disagree, 2 represents disagree, 3 represents neutral, 4 represents agree and 5 represents strongly agree to determine students‟ responses according to metacognitive, cognitive, social and affective dimensions of online learning The data was collected and presented as in Table 4.6
Table 4.6 Students’ attitudes of Blog Assignments in Relation to Learner
Dimensions Items N valid Mean SD
Metacognitive 1 Using blog gave me more freedom and control of my own learning 40 3.78 1.165
2 I often developed a plan and found the best way for me to complete blog tasks 40 3.13 1.244
3 I was able to monitor my own progress by revisiting my own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback
Cognitive 4 Blogging allowed me to actively engage in the process of reflection on my writing about cross-cultural observations
5 By regularly writing reflective blogs, I was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues
6 Reading others‟ postings helped me gain diverse cultural perspectives and reflect further about my own beliefs
7 Social networking via blog was an effective way to share knowledge and exchange ideas with others
8 I found peer comments interesting and 40 3.10 1.336
Dimensions Items N valid Mean SD informative
9 I gained intercultural knowledge and communication skills through working with my peers and native speakers
10 I found blog assignments stimulating and meaningful 40 4.03 1.143
11 I felt comfortable sharing my ideas and interacting with my peers and native speaker partners via blogging
12 Using blogs was a motivational tool for me to learn about the English culture and people
Questionnaire 2 was used again to collect data about students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning The results from questionnaire show that total mean score of students‟ attitudes toward language log assignment in online English learning at Ha Long foreign language center that was found to be 3.783 indicates a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning In general students tended to agree with the statements in the questionnaire
2, which implies that students agreed to the benefits that blog assignments It can be concluded that the students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning at Ha Long foreign language center was positive
Table 4.6 indicates that students had a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in metacognitive dimension A moderate number of students thought that they had the ability to learn English well as the mean of item 1 “Using blog gave me more freedom and control of my own learning” equals 3.78, which is greater than 3 The result implies that majority of students agreed with this statement Following the trend, in item 2 “I often developed a plan and found the best way for me to complete blog tasks.” and item 3
“I was able to monitor my own progress by revisiting my own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback.”, students also had a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in these two items With a mean equals 3.13, some students often developed a plan and found the best way for him/ her to complete blog tasks A large number of students was able to monitor their own progress by revisiting their own blogs and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback as the mean of item 3 equals 3.75
Regarding cognitive dimension, students agreed with the given statements in item 4,
5, 6 The mean of item 4 equals 4.05, which implies that many students agreed and strongly agreed that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/ her writing about cross-cultural observations In item 5 “By regularly writing reflective blogs, I was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues.”, that the mean equals 3.98 indicates that abundance of students were able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues by regularly writing reflective blogs Moreover, a good number of students gained diverse cultural perspectives and reflected further about his/ her own beliefs by reading others‟ postings as the mean of was item 6 “Reading others‟ postings helped me gain diverse cultural perspectives and reflect further about my own beliefs.” is 3.45
Social dimension was investigated in the next three items Item 7 “Social networking via blog was an effective way to share knowledge and exchange ideas with others.” records a mean = 4.25, which reflects that the large number of students agreed and strongly agreed that social networking via blog was an effective way to share knowledge and exchange ideas with others Moreover, the mean of item 8 “I found peer comments interesting and informative.” equals 3.10, which is the smallest mean in the table It shows the fact that students had a lowest agree level that peer comments did help them in improve their learning autonomy Furthermore, number of students gained intercultural knowledge and communication skills through working with their peers and native speakers were largest as the mean of item 9 equals 4.30, which is the highest mean in the questionnaire
Last but not least, the questionnaire investigated students‟ attitude toward language found blog assignments stimulating and meaningful.”, the mean of this item was recorded as 4.03 After the action plan, the teachers found a large number of students found blog assignments stimulating and meaningful Furthermore, the mean of item 11
“I felt comfortable sharing my ideas and interacting with my peers and native speaker partners via blogging.” equals 3.55, which revealed that a number of students felt comfortable sharing their ideas and interacting with their peers and native speaker partners via blogging Finally, the mean of item 12 “Using blogs was a motivational tool for me to learn about the English culture and people” is 4.03, which implies that students had high level of agreement with this statement
The frequencies of student responses in questionnaire 2 is listed in the following tables:
Students’ Perceptions of Blog Assignments in Relation to Learner Autonomy in Metacognitive dimension
Table 4.7 Using blogs gave me more freedom and control of my own learning
Responding to item 1, 3 students, which account for 7.5% of the students strongly disagreed that using blogs gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning And 3 students, which is around 7.5% of the responses, said that they disagree using blogs gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning Moreover, the number of students proposed a neutral attitude to the statement using blogs gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning are 5, which make of 12.5% of the students who participated in the survey Positively, 18 students, which is 45% students said that they agreed with the statement using blogs gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning Following the trend, 11 students, which account for 27.5% strongly agreed with the statement using blogs gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning
Table 4.8 I often developed a plan and found the best way for me to complete blog tasks
Responding to item 2, 5 students, which account for 12.5% of the students strongly disagreed that he/she often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete blog tasks And 8 students, which is around 20% of the responses, said that they disagreed that he/she often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete blog tasks Moreover, the number of students proposed a neutral attitude to the statement that he/she often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete blog tasks are 9, which make of 22.5% of the students who participated in the survey Positively, 13 students, which is 32.5% students said that they agreed that he/she often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete blog tasks Following the trend, 5 students, which account for 12.5% strongly agreed with the statement that he/she often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete blog tasks.
Table 4.9 I was able to monitor my own progress by revisiting my own blog and made changes based on the instructor’s feedback
Responding to item 3, 2 students, which account for 5% of the students strongly disagreed that he/she was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback And 9 students, which is around 22.5% of the responses, said that they disagreed that he/she was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback Moreover, the number of students proposed a neutral attitude to the statement that he/she was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback are 12, which make of 30% of the students who participated in the survey Positively, 9 students, which is 22.5% students said that they agreed that he/she was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback Following the trend, 14 students, which account for 35% strongly agreed with the statement that he/she was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback
Students’ Perceptions of Blog Assignments in Relation to Learner Autonomy in Cognitive dimension
Table 4.10 Blogging allowed me to actively engage in the process of reflection on my writing about cross-cultural observations
Responding to item 4, only 1 students, which account for 2.5% of the students strongly disagreed that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations And 3 students, which is around 7.5% of the responses, said that they disagreed that that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations Moreover, the number of students proposed a neutral attitude to the statement that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations are
7, which make of 17.5% of the students who participated in the survey Positively,
11 students, which is 27.5% students said that they agreed that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations Following the trend, 18 students, which account for
45% strongly agreed with the statement that blogging allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations
Table 4.11 By regularly writing reflective blogs, I was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues
Responding to item 5, 2 students, which account for 5% of the students disagreed with the statement that by regularly writing reflective blogs, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues And 13 students, which is around 32.5% of the responses, said that they had a neutral attitude to the statement that by regularly writing reflective blogs, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues Moreover, the number of students agreed with the that by regularly writing reflective blogs, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues are 9, which make of 22.5% of the students who participated in the survey Following the trend, 16 students, which is 40% students said that they strongly agreed with the statement that by regularly writing reflective blogs, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues Fortunately, none of these students strongly disagreed with the statement that by regularly writing reflective blogs, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues
Table 4.12 Reading others’ postings helped me gain diverse cultural perspectives and reflect further about my own beliefs
Discussion
The researcher attempted to find out the differences in students‟ learning autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center to prove that language log assignment enhanced high school students‟ autonomy in online
English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Moreover, she also tried to identify the students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center She used she uses the material provided from Ha Long foreign language center to execute the action plan
As mentioned in these above sections, the research described the differences in students‟ learning autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Based on these differences, the results proved that language log assignment enhanced high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Furthermore, the results pointed out a positive trend in students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center The findings also reinforced the results in previous studies that language log assignment enhanced high school students‟ autonomy and students had a positive view on language log assignment Moreover, the study contributed to explore the effect of language log assignment in specific environment Language log assignment not only enhanced high school students‟ autonomy in offline learning but also in online English learning
During the study, the researcher made a great effort to find out complete and clear answers to two research questions by analyzing the data collected in two questionnaires in these above sections
Research question 1: To what extent does language log assignment enhance high school students’ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center?
The first research question of this study explored the effect of language log assignment on high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center, specially, learner awareness, self-efforts, broader autonomous activities, self – esteem, use of references, self – reward and use of technology The difference between pre-intervention questionnaire and post- intervention questionnaire pointed out the effect of language log assignment on high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center The results pointed a statistically positive impact of language log assignment on high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center The results were supported by Anderson (2011) when he mentioned that many educational institutions in industrialized nations were already providing remote education and online courses with a high success rate when applying log assignments Moreover, the positive impacts of language log assignment on high school students‟ autonomy were proved in Ward‟ s research
(2004), which emphasized that log assignments encourage learner autonomy Chang and Geary (2015) studied the efficacy of utilizing selfassessment learning logs to increase L2 learner autonomy in Taiwan
Regarding learner awareness, the results implied that students‟ level of learning autonomy increased from quite low to moderate and high level The results were agreed by Oravec (2002) when he mentioned that Weblog assignments enhance awareness of the importance of authorship and audience Little wood (1994) also mentioned the role of log assignment in enhancing EFL students‟ awareness on English language learning, which supports directly the findings from data collected in questionnaire 1 in this research The research also showed a difference in level of learners‟ self-efforts After action plan, students had a higher level of learner autonomy The finding was supported by Du and Wagner (2007) as they stated that log assignment boosted students‟ self – efforts Three broader autonomous activities recorded a higher level of learner autonomy The finding was the same as Little‟ s study (2004) when he mentioned that students tried to practice some activities outside the class to improve their learning such as review the homework, use audio materials, watch English – American movies,… In addition, the findings pointed out that after applying log assignments, students had a high level of learner autonomy that they actively noted their strengths and weaknesses in learning English to improve them The finding emphasized the conclusion of Doyle and Parrish (2012) that students tended to have a higher self-esteem after using log assignments Moreover, Doyle and Parrish (2012) discussed that students were used to using reference materials as they read extra materials in advance The finding in item 13 in pre-intervention and post-intervention showed the same results However, in the last item, the difference in students‟ level of learning autonomy was not much as before applying log assignments, students had had a high level of use of technology in learning The results were opposed with conclusion made by Cole and Vanderplank (2016) and Sockett (2014), who explored how the increasing availability of new technologies fosters student autonomy and improves English proficiency They discovered that it enables a substantial percentage of autonomous, informal learners to acquire a high degree of competency in foreign language situations
Research question 2: What is students’ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning?
The second research question of this study explored students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center, specially, cognitive, metacognitive, social, affective The data collected in questionnaire 2 pointed out the students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center The results pointed a statistically positive students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Similarly, Litzler and Bakieva
(2017) investigated students‟ perspectives on utilizing learning logs to enhance learner autonomy in foreign language study The findings revealed that students were generally favorable about the learning logs because they helped them improve autonomy when working with English outside of class, generated self-awareness regarding learning techniques, and provided them with new approaches to study a language
Students had a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in cognitive dimension The result was supported by Rickards (2002) as he mentioned that the log allows students to express, analyse, and explore their learning experiences while also allowing teachers to measure students‟ progress and provide comments Hence, a learning log is primarily used by students and teachers as a learning and assessment tool Moreover, students also showed a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in metacognitive dimension, which was agreed by Moon (2010) According to Moon
(2010), the log assignment is a pedagogical tool primarily used to enhance L2 learning beyond the classroom as it can accentuate favorable conditions for language learning, encourages independent learning, and supports metacognition In addition, the finding showed a positive perception of log assignments among students in social dimension, which emphasized Entwistle‟s study (2000) as it mentioned that the log assignment allowed students to engage in discussion, receive more detailed feedback from peers, and engage in deeper ways of learning However, none of the previous studies mentioned the effect of native speakers‟ comments on students‟ learning autonomy and students‟ perception of these comments Last but not least, students kept a positive perception of log assignments among students in affective dimension The result elicited Lee and Cha‟ s action research (2017) when they used listening logs for prolonged listening in a self-regulated setting not only promoted learner autonomy among participants Both Chang & Geary (2015) and Litzler & Bakieva (2017) agreed with this results as they noted that log assignment helped students build learner autonomy by having them take responsibility for their learning, evaluate their progress, and report on the efficacy of the teaching and learning process outside of the classroom
The research still met some unachieved objectives as in several items Students did not know to evaluate their attitudes by choosing neutral, which mean that they did not disagree or agree with the given item For instance, item “I found peer comments interesting and informative.” had received a neutral attitude from 30% of the participants In addition, item “By regularly writing reflective log assignments, I was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues.” recorded the result that 32.5% of the students did not disagree or agree with this statement The neutral attitudes prevented the researcher from driving a conclusion of the students‟ perception to log assignments and benefits of log assignments.
Summary
In summary, the research successfully described and discussed the differences in students‟ learning autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Based on these differences, the results proved that language log assignment enhanced high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Furthermore, the results pointed out a positive trend in students‟ attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center The findings also reinforced the results in previous studies that language log assignment enhanced high school students‟ autonomy and students had a positive view on language log assignment.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion
The research proved that language log assignment improved high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center Furthermore, the results pointed out that students had a positive attitude toward language log assignment in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center
Regarding the impact of language log assignment on high school students‟ autonomy in online English learning in Ha Long foreign language center, the author divided students‟ autonomy in seven dimensions: learner awareness, self-efforts, broader autonomous activities, self – esteem, use of references, self – reward and use of technology Regarding learner awareness, the results implied that students‟ level of learning autonomy increased from quite low to moderate and high level The research also showed a difference in level of learners‟ self-efforts After action plan, students had a higher level of learner autonomy Moreover, three broader autonomous activities recorded a higher level of learner autonomy In addition, the findings pointed out that after applying log assignments, students had a high level of learner autonomy that they actively noted their strengths and weaknesses in learning English to improve them The finding emphasized that students tended to have a higher self-esteem after using log assignments However, in the last item, the difference in students‟ level of learning autonomy was not much as before applying log assignments, students had had a high level of use of technology in learning
Regarding students‟ perception of language log assignment in relation to learner autonomy, the author investigated students‟ perception of general benefits of language log assignment, Students‟ learning strategies while using log assignments, Students‟ attitude towards benefit related to peers while using log assignments,
Students‟ attitude of cultural and social development when using log assignments All of the students acknowledged general benefits of language log assignment as using log assignments gave him/ her more freedom and control of his/ her own learning, he/she found log assignments stimulating and meaningful and using log assignments was a motivational tool for him/her to learn about the English culture and people Students not only often developed a plan and found the best way for him/her to complete tasks but also was able to monitor his/her own progress by revisiting his/her own work and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback However, students‟ perception of benefit related to peers while using log assignments recorded different attitudes Students did not find peer comments interesting and informative, but he/she gained intercultural knowledge and communication skills through working with his/her peers and native speakers and he/she felt comfortable sharing my ideas and interacting with his/her peers and native speaker partners via log assignments Finally, students‟ perception of cultural and social development when using log assignments was positive through the data collected Log assignments allowed him/ her to actively engage in the process of reflection on his/her writing about cross-cultural observations Moreover, by regularly writing reflective log assignments, he/she was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues Social networking via log assignments was an effective way to share knowledge and exchange ideas with others, yet not many students agreed that reading others‟ postings helped him/her gain diverse cultural perspectives and reflect further about his/her own beliefs.
Implication
In recent decades, the concept of student autonomy and log assignments has attracted the attention of many scholars and has become a popular vocabulary in the context of education This is more attractive in language education One of the ultimate goals is to help students become independent classes In the EFL context, language learners typically stay behind their peers in the ESL context in their ability to control the target language, but there are many more concepts to be considered in autonomy This study shows that in this situation, language learners with higher autonomy and critical thinking have better language skills than other low-level students of autonomy and critical criticism As described, this roots are in the zeal and motivation of students who may be the result of autonomous student awareness in the language education process Of course this is true of other language skills as well However, student autonomy does not imply that teachers become impossible, but this means helping students to be more dependent or less dependent on teaching practices Therefore, the way the educational system leads to the development of student autonomy and critical thinking has become increasingly prominent This seems to be a challenging field that requires civil servants to plan, implement and monitor In this regard, the teacher training program should include students, novices and teachers with experience in this issue and develop methods and solutions We believe that independent education will not help us to achieve our goals, to which lifelong learning is our goal and appreciate Of course, this study is not without restriction To better explain the potential role of autonomous and critical thinking in any language learning activity, the need for quality methods and research is felt deeply Case studies and ethnography are really useful in this area Quantitative studies with a sufficient number of participants and broader contextual coverage will reveal the importance of autonomy in language learning and critical thinking.
Limitations
The subjects of this study were high school students who are learning an English course to get B1 level of proficiency It may have affected their acceptance of autonomy Therefore, students in different levels may get different results from this study in regards to accepting responsibility for their own learning
Another limitation of the study is that the limited teaching hours were not enough to change completely the learning habits and styles of all the students and make them active autonomous learners
Creating an environment fostering learners‟ autonomy at a foreign language center is a challenge that is appropriate to realize to give an autonomous learning experience to aspiring students Therefore, it is suggested that the development of students‟ autonomy is an indispensable condition of study at a foreign language center Such an environment for learning is an important factor in students‟ learning activities intensification
To conclude, the above mentioned items may be regarded as existed limitations of this study which need solving in future research.
Recommendations
The present study suggested how log assignments could promote students‟ autonomy More studies are required to examine how log assignments can affect student‟ language skill performance, process and engagement
A further study might explore how high students respond to the use of weblog or some other social network in promoting their autonomy in English learning
In this study, students‟ autonomy in online learning was investigated Further study might investigate factors affecting student‟ using of blog on the development of autonomy in language skills
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Direction: In order to investigate the Learner autonomy, will you please tick the or answers to the following questions according to your true cases Thank you very much for and patience!
Never: 1 Rarely: 2 Sometimes: 3 Often: 4 Always: 5
No Items Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
1 I think I have the ability to learn English well
2 I make decisions and set goals of my learning
3 I make good use of my free time in English study
5 In each lesson, I try to use every opportunity to take part in the activities where and when I can speak in
6 I speak confidently in front of the people
7 I make notes and summaries of my lessons
8 I talk to the teachers and friends outside the course in English
9 I practice English outside the course also such as: record my own voice; speak to other people in
10 I use audio-visual materials to develop my speech such as: listen to
VOA, watch English movies, read English newspapers etc
11 I attend different seminars, training courses, conferences to improve my
12 I note my strengths and weaknesses in learning
13 Besides the contents prescribed in the course, I read extra materials in advance
14 When I make progress in learning, I reward myself such as: buy new things, celebrate parties etc
15 I use internet and computers to study and improve English
Questionnaire on students’ perception of language log assignment in relation to learner autonomy
Direction: In order to investigate students‟ perception of language log assignment, will you please tick the or answers to the following questions according to your true cases Thank you very much for and patience!
1 Using blog gave me more freedom and control of my own learning
2 I often developed a plan and found the best way for me to complete blog tasks
3 I was able to monitor my own progress by revisiting my own blog and made changes based on the instructor‟s feedback
4 Blogging allowed me to actively engage in the process of reflection on my writing about cross-cultural observations
5 By regularly writing reflective blogs, I was able to understand, generate and analyze cross-cultural issues
6 Reading others‟ postings helped me gain diverse cultural perspectives and reflect further about my own beliefs
7 Social networking via blog was an effective way to share knowledge and exchange ideas with others
8 I found peer comments interesting and informative
9 I gained intercultural knowledge and communication skills through working with my peers and native speakers
10 I found blog assignments stimulating and meaningful
11 I felt comfortable sharing my ideas and interacting with my peers and native speaker partners via blogging
12 Using blogs was a motivational tool for me to learn about the English culture and people
WEEK TOPIC SKILLS DUE DATE ASSIGNMENT NOTES
Listen to an e- new (on BBC or CNN) about air pollution and discuss about it on their personal channel
Students post a caption for other students to comment and discuss
Write 3 ways to recycle waste
Do research about the information and write
Collect 3 pieces of news about constructing a nuclear factory and discuss its advantages and disadvantages in
Students must show the origin of the newspaper and its author
Make a daily video introducing about what‟s in your go-to bag and their uses that are beneficial to the
Length of time is no more than 3 minutes surroundings
Listen to medicine use on VOA
Write about one of common diseases
Collect newspapers about medicine use and hold a debate with
Record a video talking about the responsibility of individuals for taking care of their own health and diet
Length of time is no more than 3 minutes
Listen to a famous speech of a women leader and show
3 main lessons that you learn from her
Write about 3 main reasons that men and women should have the same educational opportunities
Read some newspaper introducing childcare, cooking, and cleaning
Livestream in a short time and talk about who should be the breadwinner of the family
Length of time is no more than
Write reflective log assignment about the overuse of hi- tech devices
Read about how effective the use of computers in the classroom is and share it with their friends
Prepare a presentation about your favorite technological brand
Use audio- visual materials to make your presentation attractive
To what extent would you support or reject the idea of moving Art, Sport, and Music from school curriculum?
Find some specialized terms related to Information Technology from some newspaper and share them in your channel
Make a video which introduces how to apply for a university in
Listen to some interviews that some youngsters talk about the hidden reasons leading their criminal action
What do you think are the causes of that many criminals commit further crimes as soon as they released
Read some reliable newspaper and find out the reason why there is an increasing number of juvenile delinquents
Based on reading exercise, record a video, and tell what possible solutions that you can
Listening to some rules when driving in London
Think about some solutions to solve traffic jam and explain why they are effective?
Read some advantages and disadvantages of public transport
Record a video in which you and your friend play as candidate and examiner respectively in a speaking test
The question you have to answer is a popular mode of public transportation in
At least 2 minutes your country
Watch a sport new and find out what you like about it
Write your favorite celebrity in your country?
Read a scandal that you are interested in and discuss it with your friends
Make a video that you go to the shopping mall and buy new things that you want to reward yourself
- Length of time is no more than