EFL teachers perceptions of learner autonomy and the use of teaching strategies to promote learner autonomy at senior high school in ba ria vung tau province master of TESOL

MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: NGUYEN THI HUYEN TRANG Sex: Female Date of birth: 05/03/1988 Place of birth: Ba Ria Vung Tau Province I- Thesis title: EFL TEACHERS ’ PERCEPTIONS O

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BARIA-VUNGTAU UNIVERSITY

AUTONOMY AND THE USE OF TEACHING

STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE LEARNER AUTONOMY

PROVINCE

Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang

Supervisor: Duong My Tham, Ph D

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts

Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching

Ba Ria- Vung Tau University

[04/2022]

MASTER’S THESIS REPORT

Student name: NGUYEN THI HUYEN TRANG Sex: Female

Date of birth: 05/03/1988 Place of birth: Ba Ria Vung Tau Province

I- Thesis title:

EFL TEACHERS ’ PERCEPTIONS OF LEARNER AUTONOMY AND THE USE OF

TEACHING STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE LEARNER AUTONOMY AT SENIOR

HIGH SCHOOLS IN BA RIA VUNG TAU PROVINCE

II-Objectives and contents:

This study aims at investigating perceptions of learner autonomy in language

teaching and learning in the Vietnamese EFL context, particularly in senior high

school levels The research objectives are as follows:

- To explore perceptions of learner autonomy held by senior high school EFL

teachers in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province

- To examine teaching strategies the teachers have used to promote learner

autonomy in an EFL classroom

This study was conducted at 14 high schools (including both public and private

high schools) in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province where there are more than 110

high-school teachers of English In order to gain the results, I applied the mixed method:

quantitative and qualitative, two instruments were used: questionnaire and

semi-structured interview for the collection of the data

III- Starting date: (as stated in the Decision issued by the University)

IV- Completing date:

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:

EFL TEACHERS ’ PERCEPTIONS OF LEARNER AUTONOMY AND THE USE OF TEACHING STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE LEARNER AUTONOMY AT SENIOR

HIGH SCHOOLS IN BA RIA VUNG TAU PROVINCE

In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Faculty of English Language, Ba Ria Vung Tau University

Vung Tau City, April 22 nd ,2022

NGUYEN THI HUYEN TRANG

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, NGUYEN THI HUYEN TRANG, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (English Language) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited

in the library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for theses

Vung Tau City, April 22 nd ,2022

Signature ……….

NGUYEN THI HUYEN TRANG

Secondly, I would like to express my thanks to the school board staff, including the principals, the vice principals and teachers of English at high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province who have given me encouragement, support of time and finance and permission to implement this thesis there

Last but not least, my deepest and sincerest gratitude goes to my family, including

my parents, my older sister and husband with their unconditional love, understanding and help

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy and the use of teaching strategies to promote learner autonomy at high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province The mixed-methods approach was employed in this study, i.e., both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews

There were 106 high school teachers of English from 14 high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province who participated in the survey, and 20 of them were selected purposively for the individual interviews As for data analysis, descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, standard deviation, and frequencies/ percentages) were used to analyse quantitative data, whereas qualitative data were analysed through content analysis Based on the results obtained from the data analysis, there were two findings which were explored in this study First, the collected data showed that high school teachers had good understanding of learner autonomy in four aspects, including decision-making ability, learner independence, psychology of learning and levels of learner autonomy Second, high school teachers applied some teaching strategies for the promotion of learner autonomy among their students relating to three sub variables from decision-making ability, learner independence to psychology of learning These included giving students rights to make their own decisions about learning styles, learning materials and activities under the basis of teacher-learner agreement negotiations; encouraging students to develop learning strategies, study plans to achieve their own goals, identify their own needs as well as discover the language concepts by themselves and letting students to evaluate, reflect and monitor their leaning process as well Finally, high school teachers found it challenging to create teaching strategies in relation to learner autonomy because of time limit as well as scarceness of detailed criteria based on different activities for students’ assessment Notwithstanding that, teachers still tried their best to develop students’ autonomous learning ability in language learning

Keywords: learner autonomy, teaching strategies, promotion of leaner

autonomy, high school teachers, Vietnamese EFL classrooms

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY 3

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5

ABSTRACT 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7

APPENDICES 9

LIST OF TABLES 10

LIST of FIGURES 11

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 12

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the study 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 3

1.3 Aim and objectives of the study 4

1.4 Research questions 5

1.5 Scope of the study 5

1.6 Significance of the study 6

1.7 Definitions of key terms 6

1.8 Organization of the thesis 7

Chapter 2: Literature Review 9

2.1 The shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred approach 9

2.2 Learner autonomy 12

2.3 The role of learner autonomy towards teaching and learning process 15

2.4 Teaching strategies to enhance learner autonomy 17

2.5 Previous research 20

2.6 Conceptual framework 23

2.7 Summary 24

Chapter 3: Methodology 25

3.1 Research design 25

3.2 Research site 26

3.3 Sample and sampling procedures 27

3.4 Research instruments 29

3.5 Data collection procedures .31

3.6 Data analysis procedures 32

3.7 Reliability and Validity 34

3.8 Pilot Study 35

3.9 Summary 36

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions 37

4.1 Results 37

4.2 Discussion 55

4.3 Summary 60

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 61

5.1 Summary of the main findings of the thesis 61

5.2 Pedagogical implications 63

5.3 Limitations 64

5.4 Recommendation for the further research 65

References 66

Appendices 75

APPENDICES

Appendix A1: Questionnaire for Survey (English Version)

Appendix A2: Questionnaire for Survey (Vietnamese translation)

Appendix B1: Interview Protocol (English Version)

Appendix B2: Interview Protocol (Vietnamese translation)

Appendix B3: Sample of interview data analysis (English Version) Appendix B3: Sample of interview data analysis (Vietnamese translation)

Table 4.5 EFL teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy in term of

Table 4.6 The overall results of teaching strategies to promote learner

Table 4.7 Teaching strategies relating to decision-making ability 50 Table 4.8 Teaching strategies relating to learner independence 52 Table 4.9 Teaching strategies relating to psychology of learning 54

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of the study 25

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EFL English as Foreign Language MOET Ministry of Education and Training SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter first presents a background of the study with a brief introduction

of the English language teaching and learning at senior high school level in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province The Statement of the problem is followed to raise the gap of the study context Then, Purpose of the study is established and research objectives and research questions are introduced In addition, Significance of the study, Definitions

of key terms and Organizations of the Study are provided at the end of this chapter

1.1 Background of the study

The 21st century together with rapid technological evolution and fast development in the economy and society make huge effects on language education in the world and in Vietnam In language teaching and learning, there is a tendency that traditional classrooms where teachers are described as the centre of the classroom, the supplier of knowledge and the provider of feedbacks on students’ performance (Tudor, 1993) are gradually being replaced by learner-centred classrooms In those classrooms, students are allowed to make their own decisions, reflections, critical thinking and analysis for what they learn This can be considered as a higher level of learning which has been proved effective and productive towards very learners in a great many studies in the world

In Vietnam, an official appeal for the changes in language teaching and learning has been raised since the launch of national project named “Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages in the National Education System, 2008-2020” (Decision No 1400/QĐ-TTg, 2008), and then updated on December 22nd, 2017 named “Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages in the National Education System, 2017 - 2025” (Decision No 2080/ QĐ-TTg, December 22, 2017) The project calls for the renovation of teaching methodology in language classrooms along with other changes of official language curriculum, new English textbooks and testing assessment Also, the project refers to “quality-oriented education” (Li, 2015,

p 435) and progressive growth in learner-centred language teaching and lifelong education Thus, it is extremely necessary to develop students’ autonomous learning

ability in language teaching and learning in order for students to get the benefit of learning for life

Since the birth of the national project, there is a great deal of attention given to autonomous learning ability of learners as well as their potentials during learning process in Vietnam One of the most important factors of autonomous learning is to form students’ individualized learning methods, develop their autonomous English learning ability (Ministry of Education P.R.C, 2003, p.12) and maintain their spirit of learning during a long learning process According to Little (1990), once learners can develop degree of autonomy, they will become the most efficient learners in their learning journey However, the degrees and levels of learning autonomy are not the same to each learner due to the difference in innate ability of each learner (Dickinson, 1992) Obviously, promoting learner autonomy is much more complicated than in the real contexts of teaching because this requires not only a combination of teaching process and learning process in a reasonable way but also a knowledge of students’ needs and motivation in order to choose appropriate teaching strategies for different classrooms (Li, 2015, p 435)

In the context of Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, the “National Foreign Languages Project, period 2017 - 2025” (Decision No 2080/ QĐ-TTg, December 22, 2017) encouraged the changes in language teaching methodology, especially at high school levels, Ba Ria Vung Tau Education and Training Department held training courses for all the high school teachers and appealed them to apply innovative and creative ways of teaching in order to motivate students to learn independently and actively In other words, senior high school teachers are always required to build up learner-centred classrooms where teaching strategies for the promotion of independent learning among students are put into use on a daily basis Therefore, the majority of high school teachers are aware of autonomous learning and its roles in language education However, up to now there have no studies which investigates the extent of senior high school teachers’ understanding of learner autonomy in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province Apparently, there should be more research on teachers’ knowledge of students’ independent learning ability and teaching strategies for the promotion of autonomous learning among students in order to depict an overall picture of learner autonomy in the context of language teaching in Vietnam

1.2 Statement of the problem

According to Knowles (2001), one of the primary goals in education in every society is to instruct and motivate learners to regard learning as a lifelong process and a self-directed way More particularly, learners should be encouraged to continue their education and professional development for the purpose of improving their knowledge and skills (Europa, 2002) as well as make great efforts on individual learning journey with the aim of possessing the knowledge themselves instead of passive observation like they did in the traditional classes In other words, the role of learners in their own learning process is more emphasized (Jacobs & Farell, 2003) Thus, the need for a shift from teacher-centred classrooms in to learner-centred classrooms in order to get the important objectives related to autonomous learning in education achieved is highly evaluated in a great many countries in the world Relating to teachers’ perceptions of leaner autonomy, its roles and importance

in the EFL classroom, a large number of studies on this field in academic contexts have been conducted in the Western and Asian countries, including Vietnam in recent years (Borg, 2006; Borg & Al-Busaidi, 2012; Duong, 2014; Keuk & Heng, 2016; Haji-Othman & Wood, 2016; Tapinta, 2016; Alhaysony, 2016; Nguyen, 2016; Dogan & Mirici, 2017) The findings of those research still have not generalized the whole picture of learner autonomy in teachers’ perceptions because research sites were at higher education level with participants who are college and university teachers only Those studies had some similarities in their research results that the majority of teachers were in high awareness of the concept of learner autonomy and the important contributions which teachers made to students’ autonomous learning Yet, in some studies, the teachers admitted that they were sometimes discouraged due to the challenges in the implementation of teaching strategies which aimed to boost students’ learning autonomously in their own context

In the context of Vietnam, learner autonomy is a comparatively new concept which has attracted a lot of interests from some reputed researchers such as Trinh (2005); Dang (2010) and Duong (2014), etc However, the contexts of those research are mainly in the universities where the credit-based system is applied for the purpose of creating freedom and autonomy of students towards their own learning Whereas, there have been little research on the perceptions of teachers towards learner autonomy and its importance to learning process at high school level;

especially, teaching strategies used in the EFL classroom for the promotion of learners’ autonomous learning have not been paid much attention Remarkably, since the launch of the national project named “National Foreign Languages Project, period 2017 - 2025” (Decision No 2080/ QĐ-TTg, December 22, 2017), teachers at lower and higher secondary school levels have had more chances to get access to knowledge of autonomous learning and ways of enhancing it in EFL classrooms This partially creates a lot of changes in language teaching and learning at these two levels in Vietnam

The project “National Foreign Languages Project, period 2017 - 2025” (Decision No 2080/ QĐ-TTg, December 22, 2017) has made a huge influence on the administrators of Ba Ria Vung Tau Province in general and Department of Education and Training, which leads to the increasing attention to the development of learner autonomy for students in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province; thus, they have taken a variety

of movements in order to appeal the learners’ autonomous learning and lifelong learning Also, they have held training courses for teachers to have knowledge of this field with the aim of raising teachers’ awareness of learner autonomy in the last few years because it is noticeable that the roles of teachers in inspiring their students’ learning journey is really important However, there are no studies investigating whether high school teachers in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province understand the concept, roles and importance of learner autonomy towards their students’ learning process as well as teaching practices used in the EFL for the purpose of promotion autonomous learning

With all the above concerned, it is really fundamental to conduct a study on exploring teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy as well as teaching strategies implemented in the EFL in order to boost the ability of learning autonomously among students The thesis also aimed to make some suggestions relating to learner autonomy development at senior high school level so that their lessons can be more effective and interesting

1.3 Aim and objectives of the study

This study aims at investigating perceptions of learner autonomy in language teaching and learning in the Vietnamese EFL context, particularly in senior high school levels The research objectives are as follows:

- To explore perceptions of learner autonomy held by senior high school EFL teachers in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province

- To examine teaching strategies the teachers have used to promote learner autonomy in an EFL classroom

1.5 Scope of the study

Learner autonomy has been put into a lot of research at different school levels

in the world and in Vietnam in terms of teachers’ perceptions (Duong, 2014; Le, 2018); learners’ perceptions (Duong, 2014), teaching practices (Hoang, 2012; Le, 2018), and teaching prospects (Asmari, 2013) Thus, this current thesis aimed at exploring teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy, examining teaching strategies used for the promotion of autonomous learning in EFL classroom and making some suggestions for the development of learner autonomy at senior high school level as well

The researcher chose senior high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province as the research site because of the strong appeal from the government that teachers in EFL classroom has to give rights to students in terms of choosing their own way of learning, deciding which knowledge needs investigating, and so on in order that students are more interested and active in their own learning As a teacher, the researcher totally understands about the benefits of autonomy in students’ learning, but still wants to examine whether high school teachers are in favour of learner autonomy and willing to apply it in their EFL classrooms or not after some training courses held by the Education and Training Department

Methodologically, the mixed method included questionnaire survey and structured interviews All of the research participants are high school teachers in

semi-some high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province Students were not invited to take part in this study

1.6 Significance of the study

As mentioned above, this study aimed at investigating senior high school teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy, examining teaching practices they have used promote learner autonomy in an EFL classroom and offering some suggestions for learner autonomy development at senior high school level as well Thus, the study expected to provide both theoretical and practical significance to language teaching and learning in Ba Ria Vung Tau in particular and in Vietnam in general

On a theoretical basis, this study makes a big contribution to the literature of learner autonomy in Vietnam with in-depth information and analysis on teachers’ perceptions in the EFL classrooms Besides, it will shed light on the promotion of learner autonomy in the EFL classrooms in terms of teaching strategies which have been used as well as suggestions which have made by senior high school teachers

On a practical basis, the results of the study may be beneficial to not only teachers who are trying to enhance students’ autonomous learning in their EFL classrooms but also students who are finding ways to learn more autonomously The study provides fundamental foundation for learner-centred classrooms now and in the future so that senior high school teachers can have more motivation and more understanding of teaching practices for learner autonomy development

1.7 Definitions of key terms

In order to help elucidate a specific perspective on the discussed issues for the purpose of the research, some key terms are defined as follows

Learner autonomy takes place when students are responsible for their own

learning, in terms of what they learn and how they learn it

Autonomous learning refers to a learning approach in which learners hold

right to control their own learning activities

Senior high school teachers are those who teach in senior high schools in

Vietnam

Teaching strategies refer to methods or technique which teachers apply to

teach students in the EFL classrooms

1.8 Organization of the thesis

This study report is divided into 5 chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the study with seven indispensable components of a thesis, comprising background of the study, the statement of the problem, purposes of the study, research objectives and research questions, significance of the study and definitions of key terms as well

Chapter 2 presents literature review with the information related to teaching approach in autonomous classrooms, then learner autonomy and teaching techniques for the development learner autonomy in EFL classrooms Regarding teaching approach in autonomous classrooms, teacher -centred approach and learner-centred approach are presented to make a comparison of two approaches and emphasize the necessary shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred approach In term of learner autonomy, its definitions, features, importance and teaching strategies in the autonomous EFL classrooms are presented in details Furthermore, this chapter continues with the prospect of learner autonomy in the EFL classrooms, including advantages and disadvantages of learner autonomy as well as challenges in the promotion of autonomous learning The chapter ends with previous studies on learner autonomy and teaching strategies related to autonomous learning in EFL classrooms, and a conceptual framework for this study

Chapter 3 provides an elaborate description of the research methodology of the study, including the research design, the research site, the sample and sample procedures, the research instruments, the data collection procedures as well as the data analysis procedures

Chapter 4 presents the results of the study by analysing the data collected from questionnaire and semi-structured interviews Then, the study discusses the results compared and contrasted with the findings in previous studies

Chapter 5 makes a conclusion on the main findings of the thesis, supplies some implications and limitations of the research and makes some recommendations for further research

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter aims at providing an overview of previous research relating to learner autonomy and use of teaching strategies to promote learner autonomy at senior high schools The first part of this chapter mentions the shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred approach in order to state the change in English teaching and learning these days compared to the past and the importance of developing learner autonomy among students in language education nowadays Next, definitions, features and roles of learner autonomy toward English learning are reviewed through different researchers’ viewpoints Last but not least, for the purpose of the promotion of learner autonomy, teaching strategies used in English classrooms have been presented in the third part This chapter supplies the framework of the study at the end so as to make it understandable to viewers

2.1 The shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred approach

2.2.1 Teacher-centred approach

Teacher - centred learning is a language environment in which teachers are the most important character who has all right to decide students’ learning process Teachers in teacher-centred classes are said to be the information providers and evaluators as well as monitors while students are those who listen to the lessons or receive information passively The purpose of learning in this environment is that students can perform well on state-mandated tests without caring about students’ desire and motivation (Zohrabi et al., 2012)

Besides, the learning materials and learning activities in EFL classrooms are mainly grammar oriented with language structures which are used in writing and reading rather than in listening and speaking To put it differently, both teachers and students just focus on textbooks, which make them less motivational, creative and interactive in teaching and learning (Acat & Dönmez, 2009), not mention to the experiences students have come from teachers’ lectures; that is why students seem to

be less involved in the lessons and lazier to join and less experienced to share in any language activities carried out by the teachers

Generally, teacher - centred learning is only suitable for large size of classes with well-prepared language materials and less pressure on time lesson preparation for the teachers And learning in teacher-centred classrooms is one way direction in which teacher transfers the knowledge to students without students’ feedback

2.1.2 Learner-centred approach

Student-centred learning or learner – centred learning is regarded as a pioneer

in the development learning approach In the learner-centred classrooms, students are the most important characters which have to be responsible for their learning process

as well as learning quality (Zohrabi et al., 2012) According to Acat & Donmez (2009), students are taught in a flexible, experiential and self-directed classrooms and teachers consider students’ needs as the top priority in leaning process

Moreover, students have opportunities to work in different ways such as in pairs, in groups or alone When working alone, students prepare the ideas before the class discussions, do listening exercises, write short essays, do vocabulary or grammar exercises When working in pairs or groups, students join in the discussions, compare and share the answers, take part in role plays, and so on Thanks to pair work or group work, students are able to learn how to cooperate and interact with partners and participating in learning activities help them to be more active and creative in their learning

The roles of teachers in this kind of modern classrooms are to give instructions, observe the class and give advice when necessary Teachers do not take control of learning process of students; instead, students are instructed to take responsibility for their learning process and learning results Shortly, learner-centred approach lets students to explore their ability, explore the knowledge themselves in different channels outside the class, share knowledge based on their background experiences and make decisions on what they really need In other words, students become more active and motivated in their own learning

2.1.3 The shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred approach

According to studies on teacher-centred classrooms, students in those classes had poor motivation, poor autonomy but high anxiety, which led to low learning outcomes or poor achievement (Amiri & Saberi, 2007; Mermelstein, 2015, as cited in Kassem, 2019) Duckworth (2009) once mentioned this poor affect in his research

that students’ educational growth was prevented under the influence of teachers’ instructions Hence, the call for a shift from teacher-to student -centred classroom has been mentioned by a lot of researchers (Kassem, 2019) for the purpose of bettering students’ performance and achievement in language learning

Learner-centeredness has been proved to create learning environment which enhances students’ autonomous learning because it is able to develop the highest levels of motivation and achievement among learners (McCombs & Whistler, 1997) Moreover, the level of learner autonomy depends on various internal and external factors, including educational system, age, personality, the teacher in leaner-centred classrooms can get access to students in a more effective way than in teacher-centred classrooms (Boyadzhieva, 2016)

Besides, in the learner-centred classrooms, students are trained to practice three principles: learner involvement, learner reflection and target language use (Little, 2009, p 224) This results in the ability of autonomous learning among students; or in other words, students have opportunities to practice skills to be autonomous learners (Bension, 2001) Sinclair (2000) presents that autonomy among students is a product which is teachable and takes time to develop (p 5); plus, it needs appropriate environment for practice both inside and outside the classroom (Nunan, 1997, p 201) Therefore, in order to enhance the benefits of autonomous learning for students, the shift from teacher to learner -directed environment is a crucial step in language learning process

More importantly, according to Dam (2011), “a move from teacher-directed teaching environment to a learner -directed learning environment” is a development

of learner autonomy in education (p 41) Once the learning environment is changed, the roles of students and teachers are also different in new modern context This can

be called the shift to the new role which requires students more efforts in their learning process It is efforts during learning journey that students make are to both promote readiness “for spontaneous, self-directed, life-long learning” and develop

“the ability of self-assessment, recognition of their strengths and weaknesses as well

as implementation of suitable strategies” into their real contexts of learning (Alrabai,

2016, p 30) All of those qualities mentioned above are the characteristics of autonomous learners presented in most of the studies on the relationship between learner autonomy and learner-centeredness

Obviously, there has been a great many changes in language education for the past eighty years, and the move from teacher-centred learning to learner-centred learning is unavoidable With this shift, students become more autonomous and get more motivation during their own language learning journey (Benson, 2001, p.1) And this is also the most prominent theme which promotes the effectiveness of learning including active engagement, high motivation, independent efforts, better learning outcomes (Little, 2003)

2.2 Learner autonomy

2.2.1 Definitions

Back to the history of language teaching and learning, in the 1960s, Gardner

& Miller (1999, p 6) defines that “learner autonomy” is closely linked to two elements “the development of life-long learning skills and independents thinkers” At that time, no one was able to give a clear and exact definition of “learner autonomy”

or its definitions and interpretations in language learning seem to be subjective (Bension, 2003) To put it differently, “learner autonomy” is a complex notion which

is considered “as synonymous with individualization” (Benson, 1997)

Until the late of 1980s, “learner autonomy” was officially first defined by Holec; this term has attracted attention and interest among researchers and educational practitioners all over the world since then Learner autonomy in Holec’s (1981) perspective is the ability of taking charge of one’s own learning (Benson, 2006) During more than forty years until now, this original idea has been developed and defined in different ways according to the variety of research on both international and nation extent

The most commonly definition of learner autonomy which has been used at the current time is “a capacity and willingness to act independently and in cooperation with others, as a social, responsible person” (Dam et al., 1990, p 102) Dickinson’s (1994) definition of learner autonomy refers to “attitude towards learning in which the learner is prepared to take, or does responsibility for his own learning” (p 167) Whereas, learner autonomy in Little’s (1991) viewpoint is “a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making and independent action” (p 4) The simplest definition of learner autonomy is a “self-management of learning” or “take charge of one’s own learning” by Benson (2001) According to

Benson (2001), learner autonomy needs to be understood as abilities and attitudes of learners during their own learning process (p 48)

Obviously, the 21st century accompanied with the huge development of technology and the influence of social and economic factors has made changes in the definitions of learner autonomy There are big differences in the researchers’ viewpoints of learner autonomy when compared with ones on the early days However, variously as learner autonomy has been defined, this term is confirmed the most important change in approaches to language teaching and learning (Jacobs & Farrell, 2003)

These days, the concept of learner autonomy concentrates on the understanding between teachers and students (Asmari, 2013) Even, gender is also put into consideration when defining learner autonomy (Tok, 2011, Varol & Yilmaz, 2010) In applied education nowadays, studies done by Xhaferi and Xhaferi (2011),

Lo (2010), Bayat (2010) refers to the effective ways of fostering EFL learner autonomy in order to take advantage of this norm in language teaching and learning With a diversity of perspectives of learner autonomy by scholars in language education, this study refers to Benson’s (2001) definition as an operational one in which students are put into real learning context and trained to practice controlling over learning management, cognitive process and learning content (p 76-103)

2.2.2 Features of autonomous learning

The same as definitions of learner autonomy, features of learner autonomy and autonomous learners in language learning have variously described in some studies Dickinson (1987, p 11) states that autonomous learning refers to “a particular attitude to the learning task, where the learner accepts responsibilities for all the decisions concerned with his learning but does not necessarily undertake the implementation of those decisions” Similarly, Holec simplifies that autonomous learning is “the process or the techniques used in directing one’s own learning” In the further development of learner autonomy, Little (1995) enhances this notion to be

“the acceptance of responsibility by learners, which has both socio-affective and cognitive implications” (p 175)

Similarly, Chan’s (2001) categorization of qualities which autonomous learners should have include high motivation, oriented goal, good organization,

initiatives, enthusiasm, flexibility, activeness in learning and willingness in asking questions as well as taking advantage of opportunities for the improvement of their own leaning The categorization of characteristics of autonomous students aimed to find the better ways to encourage them to move towards autonomy within and outside the classroom (Nunan, 1997)

Whereas, Benson (2001) categorizes learner autonomy into two aspects and autonomous learners into three aspects In Benson’s (2001) viewpoint, independent learning and decision-making are two aspects showing the nature of learner autonomy and learning management, cognitive process and learning content are three aspects showing the interdependence of autonomous learners (as cited in Duong,

2014, p.10) In other words, Benson’s definition of learner autonomy emphasizes that

a student is called autonomous learner once s/he has the ability of managing their learning himself or herself, being responsible for their own learning as well as controlling the content of their learning (Benson, 2001, as cited in Duong, 2014, p.10)

However, Nunan’s (1997) category is closely related to the aim of this paper

as to five levels of autonomy in language learning That is, the attempt to make learners aware of goals, strategies, and content of materials; then to get learners exposed to making choices from a variety of goals, content and strategies; next, let them set their goals, develop the content and create learning tasks; finally, to reach fully autonomous learners in order to get connected the lesson in the classroom with the outside world To put it differently, being autonomous learners requires the ability to set up “a personal agenda for learning” by determining their own plans, pace, monitoring and evaluation of their own learning process (Little, 1994; Chan,

2003, as cited in Duong, 2014, p 10)

Similar to the concept of learner autonomy, its features have aroused a lot of interests from educational researchers since its first appearance Based on those theoretical background of characteristic qualities of autonomous learners by educational practitioners, this study considers learner autonomy in terms of the ability to make decisions, the ability to study independently with psychological characteristics as well as levels of learning autonomously These features of autonomous learners are suitable for the context of this study as well as easy for

senior high school teachers of this study to understand and make a comparison in the real context

2.3 The role of learner autonomy towards teaching and learning process 2.3.1 The importance of learner autonomy towards learning process

The significance of learner autonomy toward language learning is diverse due

to the differences in various viewpoints among researchers However, it has been proved in some studies that learner autonomy is of great importance in language learning because its advantage is to help learners to get achievements in independence and creativity at high degrees (Alonazi, 2017) According to Smith (2008), assisting students to learn autonomously is one of the educational goals for the purpose that students are able to learn more effectively and independently Classroom time with class size is the limits of classroom activities, which prevents students from successful language learning Therefore, students need encouraging to develop their own learning strategies and study plan in order to become autonomous within and outside the classrooms (Harmer, 2007)

Moreover, thanks to autonomous ability in language learning, students are able to learn from their own successes and failures which help them develop their competence in the future (Crabbe, 1993) More importantly, Umeda (2000, cited in Onozawa, 2010) claim that autonomy in education help develop a lifelong ability to deal with the fast change of society, economy and technology, promote students’ ability of individual learning and enhance the variety of students’ educational and cultural background Hence, fostering learner autonomy means encouraging students

“determine the objectives, to define the contents and progressions, to select methods and techniques, to monitor the procedures of acquisition and to evaluate what has been acquired” (Holec, 1981, p 3)

2.3.2 The effects of learner autonomy on teaching process

Actually, for the time being, there is a gradual increase in studies of autonomous learning and its advantages in order to help students achieve the best learning results and the highest degrees of self-studying Since once learners are willing to explore the knowledge, their independence will build up their creativity and motivation, which are really crucial in students’ learning This is consistent with Littlewood’s (1996) point of view that the core of autonomy is at the learners’ ability

and willingness to take responsibilities for their own learning and that learners’ willingness is up to the motivation and the confidence to be responsible for the choices asked

According to Jiao (2005), learner autonomy not only helps enhance learner’s motivation in order to increase the effect of learning but also creates more opportunities for learners to practice English in a non-native environment Moreover, the individual needs of learners at all levels are catered and its advantages to learning are long lasting (p 28) Whereas, Carter (2003) reveals that language autonomous learners are more conscious of and sensitive to the forms and the functions of a language According to Brown (2007), learners are able to maintains their study without teachers’ monitor or continue their study outside the classroom once they are trained to be autonomous in learning In language learning, learners need high motivation in order to practice English even without English speaking environment;

it means that internal motivation created during autonomous learning helps autonomous learners continue the journey of learning English more (Hapsari, 2018,

p 97)

Again, different viewpoints of the importance of autonomy have been argued

in a great many studies by many educators and researchers in term of language learning and teaching For example, Umeda (2000, cited in Onozawa, 2010) presents three reasons to explain about the significance of autonomy in educational field: to develop students’ “lifelong ability”, improve their “individuality” and enhance the

“diversity of the learners’ educational and cultural background All these aims to help students deal with the rapid social changes, which build the foundation for learners to go into real life Benson (2001) also emphasizes that it is always useful for learners to be equipped with “a capacity of taking control over one’s own learning” Or Harmer (2007) confirms that learners need to be encouraged to foster their own learning strategies to compensate for the time limits in the classroom and

to increase the chances for students’ successful learning

2.3.3 The challenges of promoting learner autonomy in the EFL classrooms

According to Littlewood (1999), culture is one of the most common factors which make a big impact on autonomous learning among language learners He explains that under the influence of Confusions and traditional prejudices, East Asian people find it more difficult to change their thoughts as well as learning styles Ho

and Crookall (1995) also have the same idea that cultural attitudes may either facilitate of restrain skills in language acquisition and limit the development of learner autonomy (p 237)

Besides, in terms of psychological implications, autonomous learners are required to ask the teacher for a content, pace or decision-making aspects However, most of the Asian learners dare not to challenge their teachers in the classroom Similarly, the teachers also find it not easy to transform their roles into a facilitator who is by learners to find out the solutions to the problems, (Ho & Crookall, 1995, p 237) According to Zia (2016, p 12), in order to get the highest result during autonomous learning, learners need to be encouraged to be interdependent as well as work collaboratively And this progress takes a lot of time of both teachers and students to have team work skills and independent ability during learning process (Zia, 2016, p 12)

Moreover, in reality, the degrees of learner autonomy are not the same in students and not all of them get the full autonomy at the beginning; therefore, students need a lot of teachers’ support and instructions In other words, teachers are those who are always by students’ side to give help, encouragements and strategies for students to conquer their learning road Therefore, it is really important that teachers are assigned requirements and expectations as well as responsibilities to create the autonomous contexts which encourage and guide students to make practical learning objectives as well as develop the independence inside students

2.4 Teaching strategies to enhance learner autonomy

2.4.1 The role of teachers in the promotion of learner autonomy

Since Holec’s initial definition, some other components are added into the notion such as “a situation in which the learner is totally responsible for all of the decisions concerned with his (or her learning and the implementation of those decisions” (Dickinson, 1987, page 11) Little (1991, p 3) seem to have the same opinions of learner autonomy with Dickinson (1987, p 5) when they both suggest that autonomous learning is “learning without a teacher” or “learning without the direct control of a teacher” However, despite the fact that all the definitions indicate that students must be responsible for their own learning, studies conducted also

reveal that autonomous learning does not mean learning alone without the help of teachers

Teacher, especially the teacher-student relationship, plays a crucial part in developing learner autonomy (Zia, 2016, p 12); therefore, it is really important to build up the trust and cooperation between the teacher and learners to have a comfortable and secure atmosphere in the ELF classroom As a facilitator, teacher needs to give careful instructions to help students become more autonomous in learning (Benson, 2001, p 1) Under the teacher’s elaborate instructions, students find it easier to identify their own goals, specify objectives and get access to appropriate resources which support their goal-realizing journey (Harmer, 2007, p 395) Teacher also provides information or source of materials for students as well as make a simplified model during the language learning process in order that students understand the way to fulfill their task (Harmer, 2007, p 395) More importantly, students are always motivated to do the task, provided with teaching aids as well as given choices of learning strategies through the use of memory strategies, cognitive strategies and affective strategies

In reality, there are a lot of studies on teachers’ roles in developing learner autonomy by Knowles (1975); Higgs (1988); Nunan (1993), Voller (1997) The studies show that teachers play a crucial part in fostering learner autonomy Teachers are asked to bring the shift of learning responsibility to their students and instruct them how to improve their learning ability as well as inspire them to lengthen their motivation and interest In the studies by those researchers above, teachers have to play different roles in a language classroom, which definitely causes a lot of challenges to both teachers and students Those who are familiar with traditional teaching views and contexts find it really hard to get used to this change

The relationship between teachers’ roles and the development of learner autonomy found in some papers by Ho and Crookall (1995); Reid (1996); Yang (1998), Hua (2001); Wang (2002), Xu & Xu (2004) All the research papers confirm that in autonomous learning environment, various roles of teachers make a great influence on students’ performance and attitudes to their learning

2.4.2 Teaching strategies to enhance learner autonomy

Relating to strategies which teachers use to promote learner autonomy in the EFL classroom, there have been numerous studies on this aspect of language practice among researchers all over the world Because there is a general agreement that autonomy and autonomous learning have a strong correlation with “self-instruction, self-access, self-study, self-education, out-of-class learning or distance learning” (Benson, 2001) The notion of Benson reveals that autonomous learning is concerned with learners’ attitudes and abilities to get this way of learning improved Likewise, Little (1991) links autonomy with psychological characteristics as “a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making and independent action (p 4) Littlewood’s viewpoint is also consistent that autonomous learner is the one “who is able and willing to make and carry out the learning choices independently” (1996) Besides, he pinpoints that “this capacity depends on two main components: ability and willingness” (1996, p 428)

In real educational contexts, the promotion of autonomy in English learning

is reported to be different in different levels of English proficiency of learners (Borg

&Al, 2012) More importantly, the teacher has to care about students’ interest as well

as choose appropriate subject for their abilities In other words, students need to be given freedom of choices in the activities in the EFL classroom

Pair and group work is also one of the most fundamental characteristics in developing learner autonomy according to Jacobs and Farrell (2001) The research

by Jacobs and Farrell (2001) confirms that collaborating with partners not only makes students less dependent on the teacher but also increases their independence

as well as requires more students’ efforts in learning This is also competent with the findings in the studies by Dörnyei (2001) and Benson (2001) that the active participation into groupwork and pair work of students allows the teacher’s use of rules in the classroom Therefore, Dörnyei (2001) and Benson (2001) suggests that students should be given opportunities and freedom to join the activities and encouraged to be responsible for their learning products during learning process

Moreover, Little, Ridley and Ushioda in their study in 2002 state that planning relevant materials ahead with different learning tasks which are suitable for students’ level is the most important aspect of executing learner autonomy in EFL classrooms This means that the teacher can add the principles in terms of autonomy into the learning goals, learning process and learning tasks so that students are

trained learning autonomous strategies Voller (1997) supplements that the teacher should create a trustworthy and cooperative learning environment for students to feel comfortable and secure to express themselves This means that students should be built up confidence to explore their learning process and willingness to fulfil the tasks in intentional way in order to avoid the constrained environment because Lamb (2008) shows that constrained environment seems to cause lack of authenticity which makes a big separation between the knowledge in the classroom and outside the classroom (p 273)

Besides, developing students’ awareness of their own learning styles and learning strategies is what the teacher has to do as a manager, a resource person and a counsellor in the learner-centred class (Camilleri, 1997) With different roles in the classroom, the teacher needs to helps students practice making a decision, developing their learning styles and strategies as well as giving them instructions to manage learning difficulties In order to do this challenging task, teachers make a great effort,

a lot of preparation as well as support (Camilleri, 1997) However, creating an independent learning environment is the most important opportunity for students to develop learner autonomy (Cotterall, 1999, p 111-112)

2.5 Previous research

There has been an increase in the number of studies on teachers’ perceptions and beliefs of learner autonomy in the field of education worldwide Those studies state that students are not able to learn independently without the assistance of teachers In other words, no one can deny that “autonomous learning is absolutely not the learning without teachers’ participation” (Benson & Voller, 1997, p 63) Boud (1988, p 25) also states “It is compatible with autonomous learning for learners to opt to be “taught” in situations in which they have decided that it is desirable for their own ends Developing autonomy does not simply involve removing structured teaching; it may require a greater degree of structure than didactic teaching; but of a kind” That is, autonomous learning does not deny teachers’ role in the class, but teachers are expected to better organize the class teaching

In the context of European countries where learner autonomy was first mentioned, the study by Camilleri (1999) with the participation of 328 teachers in six

European contexts including Slovenia, The Netherlands, Belorussia, Malta, Poland and Estonia The findings revealed that all the teachers agreed with the idea that students should be given the right to make their own decisions relating to learning activities; namely, setting up the objectives of a course and deciding the course content

Another study on learner autonomy done by Balçıkanlı (2010) investigated

112 student teachers in Turkey in order to identify their general attitudes towards learner autonomy The results stated that most of the student teachers expressed their positive attitudes toward the adoption of learner autonomy principles However, the majority of the student teachers expressed their disagreement with the idea that it was unnecessary for students to join in the decision-making process in terms of the time and the place of the course as well as the textbooks

The other study by Yaşar (2020) in the context of 23 secondary schools in Turkey with the participation of 43 EFL teachers also had positive results that most

of the teachers were familiar with the concept learner autonomy and willing to foster autonomy in language learning Nevertheless, they admitted facing with difficulties relating to the curriculum and time limitations during the application of learner autonomy in the classroom

In the context of Asia countries, the number of studies on teachers’ perceptions in autonomous learning has been increasing in the past ten years And, those ones were mostly paying attention to the practical findings in language learning

in order to find out the best teaching strategies for the development the ability of learner autonomy

For example, the study by Duong (2014) in the context of Thailand with the participation of thirty EFL teachers teaching English at a Thai University The study

by Duong (2014) used a closed-ended questionnaire to get quantitative data while this study used a mixed-method including a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview to get both qualitative and quantitative data Second, the number of EFL teachers was smaller than that of this study comprising one hundred and six EFL teachers, which helped this study get access to more detailed information With regard to the results, the majority of the EFL teachers in Duong (2014) were able to perceive the concept of learner autonomy and roles of teachers in autonomous learning; however, most of the teachers admitted that it was difficult to apply the

teaching practices about learner autonomy in Thai’s context In other words, the participants in Duong’s (2014) study presented that they had a lot of difficulties in promoting learner autonomy despite their full understanding of the concept of learner autonomy; therefore, they found it hard to implement learner autonomy in practice

In contrast, the study by Asmari (2013) with the participation of sixty teachers of a Saudi Arabia university had the findings which were totally different from the findings of this study in some aspects Asmari’s (2013) applied a questionnaire survey of thirty questions which was distributed to female and male teachers in order to find out the differences between female and male teachers in promoting learner autonomy in the classroom as well as teachers’ perceptions of the concept of learner autonomy and its practice, strategies and prospects in the context

of Saudi Arabian universities The results revealed that some teachers were not ready for creating a learning centred environment where learner autonomy was developed; moreover, female and male teachers had different opinions of learner autonomy, so all of them found it really challenging to apply and enhance autonomous learning for their students in the classroom

In the context of Vietnam, Nguyen’s (2011) study in the context of university and college reveals that learner autonomy was a rather new norm toward Vietnamese teachers and students The study was carried out with the participation of four hundred and eighty-one students of bachelors’ programs and one hundred and fifty of master’s program as well as forty- seven teachers of English at university level around Vietnam The result stated that almost the student teachers and university teachers wanted to change the traditional classes into a more modern ones for students to be really engaged in the real learning environment; however, most of them did not know how to do this effectively in terms of learning materials, learning activities as well as learning styles It can be seen that at the beginning when learner autonomy was first introduced in Vietnam, teachers who desired to make a change in language teaching and learning found it really difficult to fulfill this in real context

Similarly, the study by Nguyen (2014) with the participation of one hundred and eighty- eight teachers who answered the questionnaire survey and four teachers who joined the interview also stated that teachers did not fully understand the concept learner autonomy as well as apply methods to promotion learner autonomy

in their teaching contexts Explaining for this, most of the teachers presented that the

teaching settings with strict courses as well as strictly-fixed syllabuses prevented them from fostering students’ autonomous learning

Differently, Nguyen (2016) investigated eighty-four university teachers on their perceptions and the implementation in learner autonomy in EFL classrooms The results showed that teachers had full understanding of learner autonomy and expressed high appreciation of the importance of learner autonomy toward students’ learning process, especially in the ability of making choices and decisions among students Moreover, the teachers in the study made some suggestions on learning activities consisting of assignment-giving, task-checking, project work and presentation- assessing in order to make use of the benefits of learner autonomy in learning process

On the whole, learner autonomy has been investigated in different dimension

of language teaching and learning Though each research, solutions to raise teachers’ awareness and strategies teachers can do to build up the development of autonomous learning in the classroom have been mentioned in order to create a better autonomous learning environment for students (Asmari, 2013; Alonazi in 2017) However, some studies indicated that teachers at university have less pressure than teachers at secondary schools in developing autonomous learning among students (Asmari, 2013; Alonazi in 2017) In the context of Vietnam, studies on learner autonomy among university teachers outnumbered studies among high school and secondary teachers This is a gap which this research aimed to fill up in the language teaching and learning in Vietnamese settings

2.6 Conceptual framework

The objectives of the present study are to investigate perceptions of learner autonomy held by senior high school EFL teachers in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province and examine teaching strategies the teachers have used to promote learner autonomy in

an EFL classroom Therefore, in this research, there are two elements, comprising teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy and strategies teachers have used for the development of learner autonomy in the EFL classrooms These two elements have a mutual impact on each other Regarding perceptions, the research went into details of four elements which are regarded as crucial factors and features in the definitions and features of learner autonomy as Benson (2001) mentions; namely, decision-making

ability, learner independence, psychology of learning and levels of learner autonomy Furthermore, strategies which teachers have used to promote learner autonomy among students in the EFL classrooms consist of four those above elements in order

to show that the relationship between teachers’ perceptions and actions or activities caried out in the classroom for the enhancement of autonomous learning among students

The conceptual framework of the present study is presented in Figure 2.1 as follows:

Figure 2.1 Conceptual framework of the study

2.7 Summary

In this chapter, main aspects related to learner autonomy in senior high school teachers’ perceptions have been covered In terms of teaching strategies to promote learner autonomy in English classroom, principles and challenges during the application of learner autonomy have been discussed and the framework of the study has been presented to show the whole depict of the study

EFL TEACHERS

Benson (2001), Borg, &

Al-Busaidi (2012), Duong

(2014)

Decision-making ability Learner independence

Psychology of learning

Chapter 3: Methodology

The chapter first provides an outline of the research methods with six major items so as to gain the objectives proposed in Chapter One and addresses the following research questions of the study:

1 How is learner autonomy perceived by senior high school teachers in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province?

2 What teaching strategies have the teachers used to promote learner autonomy

in an EFL classroom?

This chapter firsts presents the research design with general information of the methods and participants Then, it presents more detailed information of research site, sample and sample procedures, research instruments and data collection procedures This chapter ends with how the data analysis procedures are presented

3.1 Research design

This thesis investigated teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy and teaching strategies which have been used to promote learner autonomy among senior high school teachers, particularly 14 senior high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province In order to answer the two research questions, the thesis employed the mixed method to collect the data; namely, qualitative and quantitative Accordingly, the quantitative data was collected through the questionnaire survey with the participation of 106 teachers of English at 14 senior high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province whilst the qualitative data was collected through the semi-structured interviews with the voluntary participation of 20 teachers A mixed methods design was the most chosen one in many studies because of its higher reliability and validity

in SPSS Cronbach’s Alpha indexes or in real life’s results (Cresswell, 2012) In addition, the questionnaire is regarded as a preferable tool to obtain the overall viewpoints of teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy as well as teaching strategies which have been used by senior high school teachers to promote learner

autonomy in the EFL classroom Similarly, the semi-structured interview helped test their reliability (Cohen, 2007)

The mixed method in other studies in the world may include questionnaire, classroom observation or interview but this thesis just used a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews so as to get the whole depict of the teachers’ understanding of learner autonomy and teaching strategies which have been used by senior high school teachers for the development of learner autonomy in EFL classrooms

3.2 Research site

The research site of this thesis was Ba Ria Vung Tau Province where the author was working as a senior high school teacher The number of both public and private high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province was 32 with about 242 high school teachers on the whole In order to make a change in language teaching and learning as mentioned in the project entitled “Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages in the National Education System, 2008-2020” (Decision No 1400/ QĐ-TTg, 2008), Ba Ria Vung Tau Government have well-equipped all of high schools with modern computers connected with the internet, headphones, loud speakers, projectors and even interactive boards for the purposes of promoting English teaching and learning for students In order to build up students’ communicative ability as well as confidence, two more periods of speaking and listening are also added into the main curriculum for two years now

Ba Ria Vung Tau government has put an emphasis on the importance of autonomous learning among students to get the highest learning result Explaining for that, instructing students to learn autonomously is one of the most innovative aspect which language teaching and learning in modern time refers to In other words, this is one of the crucial foundations in the appeal of the innovation movement in language education That is the reason why the quality of English teaching and learning in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province has been considerably upgraded

in recent years With the facilities support as well as the availability of variety of materials used for language teaching and learning in each school, the main character

in the innovation movement – the teacher also receives a lot of assistance from Ba Ria Vung Tau government There have been training courses for teachers to attend in

order to change their mindsets as well as actions for the purpose of bettering the quality of language education Hence, the teachers are active and willing to change themselves to be more suitable for the language teaching and learning nowadays

Regarding to the official curriculum, the academic year consists of thirty- seven weeks including two semesters; namely, Semester 1 with eighteen weeks and Semester 2 with seventeen weeks Students at high schools have three periods of English a week and two extra classes for speaking and listening practice All the lessons have to follow this curriculum distribution strictly High school students have one oral examination, two fifteen-minute tests including projects, presentations or paper tests, one forty-five-minute test and a final exam at the end of each semester, in which a speaking test is marked as a fifteen-minute test

3.3 Sample and sampling procedures

In order to get samples for the thesis, the study was conducted at 14 senior high schools in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, Vietnam with the voluntary participation

of 106 senior high-school teachers

At first, five of those teachers did the questionnaires and joined the interview for the pilot study in order that the researcher checked whether there were any mistakes with the questionnaire and the interview before officially using them for

106 Vietnamese teachers of English of the research Then, out of 106 participants, 20 teachers of English from 14 senior high schools were individually invited for the interview for more explanation

According to Creswell (2012), the sampling procedure can make the study reachable and easy to be carried out First, the researcher contacted with teachers where the researcher works as a teacher of English Second, the researcher asked for help from the leaders of each senior high school for teachers’ availability to send them online forms of the questionnaire After collecting responses in many ways, senior high school teachers were asked for their availability for individual semi-structured interview Particularly, 106 senior high school teachers of English were selected based upon their willingness to answer the survey

Shortly, the number of participants is acceptable as the suggested sample size

of 106 is the minimum number whereas the number of teachers joining the study is

over 110 participants; therefore, the sample can cover the large population according

to Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2000)

As can be seen in Table 3.1, the general information of the participants was shown clearly with three main items, including gender, education level, teaching experiences The general information of participants is discussed in details below:

Gender: The questionnaire survey was delivered online to over 110 senior high

school teachers; however, 106 replies were returned and collected by the researcher through google form The information about gender aspect was as follows: the number of female teachers was 77 while that of male teachers was 29, which accounted for 72.6% and 27.4%, respectively Clearly, the number of females was slightly higher than that of males

Educational level The educational level of participants was divided into 2

categories, comprising University and Master with the frequency of 95 teachers and

11 teachers, which took up 89.6% and 10.4% respectively In other words, the number of teachers who had Bachelor’s degree was much more than the number of teachers who had Master of Arts

Teaching experiences The teaching experience was divided into four categories,

including group 1: from 1 to 5 years, group 2: from 6 to 10 years, group 3: from 11 to

15 years and group 4: over 15 years From the data collected, the number of participants who had eleven years of teaching English outnumbered other groups Particularly, there are 28 teachers who have taught English from 1 to 5 years, 35 teachers who have taught English from 6 to 10 years, teachers who have taught English from 11 to 15 years and teachers who have taught English more than 15 years are 26 and 17 with the percentage rate 26.4%, 33%, 24.5% and 16%, respectively