Of Horses and Water: Giving Learners Free Rein in Developing their Autonomy

Henry Foster
 Hayo Reinders

Despite progress in recent years
 Japanese classrooms continue to present challenges for educators seeking to promote language learner autonomy. Adopting an action research/case study design
 the present study explored how
 in a 5-week student-led project
 an intact group of learners could contribute to the development of their own autonomy. Data consisting of questionnaires
 observation notes
 video recordings
 written reflections
 and recorded group discussions were analyzed using inductive qualitative coding and descriptive statistics. The students chose to work together as a class
 and negotiated and executed a plan of action. The narrative that emerged highlighted the importance of group dynamics in collaborative autonomy development. Student reactions to the project were largely positive
 with indications that the project promoted metacognition and learner motivation. This study provides an example of one approach to involving Japanese learners in classroom management to promote a collaborative
 interdependent movement towards autonomy.

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https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/reflections/article/view/267220