Two case studies of language teachers' cognitions of learner autonomy and their observed practice in a Japanese university setting

Abstract

This thesis presents qualitative case studies of two native English speaker teachers of English in a Japanese university. The longitudinal research investigated the teachers’ cognitions about learner autonomy and the links to their practice through two research questions: What cognitions do native English speaker teachers working in Japanese universities hold about language learner autonomy? How do they try to foster language learner autonomy in their classrooms and what role do cognitions play in how teachers do this? Though there have been studies into learner autonomy through the prism of teacher cognitions, to my knowledge this is the first to also investigate classroom practice through the methodology of interviews, classroom observations and participant diaries. Results showed that each teacher in the study had a unique understanding of learner autonomy that had developed without exposure to professional learning or training. The findings also confirmed the limiting effect of both contextual and cognitive factors on the ways in which teachers can introduce strategies to enhance learner autonomy in classrooms. It was found that beyond oft-cited restrictions of institutional contexts and learners’ ability, teachers’ own professional cognitions, which included how they identified themselves as teachers, led to self-limiting behaviour. This is not a factor that has been noted in previous studies and suggests how more research is needed to establish how context intersects with cognitions and how it affects autonomous practice.