Application of google classroom in promoting independent learning of non english major students in english class in a police institution

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES **************** NGUYỄN DUY QUYNH APPLICATION OF GOOGLE CLASSROO

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

****************

NGUYỄN DUY QUYNH

APPLICATION OF GOOGLE CLASSROOM IN PROMOTING

INDEPENDENT LEARNING OF NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

IN ENGLISH CLASS IN A POLICE INSTITUTION

(Ứng dụng công cụ Google Classroom trong việc nâng cao khả năng học tập độc lập của sinh viên không chuyên trong giờ học tiếng Anh tại một đơn vị giáo dục của Cảnh sát)

M.A THESIS (Applied Program)

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Hanoi - 2020

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

****************

NGUYỄN DUY QUYNH

APPLICATION OF GOOGLE CLASSROOM IN PROMOTING

INDEPENDENT LEARNING OF NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

IN ENGLISH CLASS IN A POLICE INSTITUTION

(Ứng dụng công cụ Google Classroom trong việc nâng cao khả năng học tập độc lập của sinh viên không chuyên trong giờ học tiếng Anh tại một đơn vị giáo dục của Cảnh sát)

M.A THESIS (Applied Program)

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Supervisor : Assoc Prof Lê Văn Canh

Hanoi - 2020

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the thesis entitled “Application of Google Classroom

in promoting independent learning of non-English major students in English class

in a police institution” is the result of my own research except as cited in the references Whole or any part of the thesis has not been submitted before in order

to qualify for any other academic degree

Hanoi, 2020

Nguyễn Duy Quynh

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The completion of this research paper could not have been possible without the participation and assistance of people to whom I would like to express my sincere gratitude

My deep gratitude goes first to Associate Professor Lê Văn Canh, my supervisor, for his continuous support, patience and precious guidance which helped me in all the time of research and writing of this study

I would also like to extend my appreciation to all the research participants, students of class N01.D44, for their eager cooperation and valuable ideas in the questionnaires and interviews without which the study could not be completed

In addition, my thanks are also delivered to my colleagues at the Department of Foreign Languages of the People’s Police Academy for their kind support and constant source of inspiration

This last word of acknowledgement I have saved for my beloved parents and

my dear wife who have been with me throughout stressful times, pushing me farther than I thought I could go

ABSTRACT

This study was expected to investigate the application of Google Classroom

to promote the independent learning of non-English major students studying in a police institution More explicitly, the author attempted to carry out his intervention throughout one cyclical process of action research and targeted at examining 1) impacts of the application of Google Classroom on the students’ independent learning in their English class and 2) the students’ opinions towards the application of Google Classroom in their English learning

The data were collected from pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires delivered to the participants, and interviews with some of the students The time span of the intervention was 14 weeks in total and all findings indicated in the study were interpreted as the result of one-cycle implementation

of the action research project It was concluded that the application of Google Classroom was beneficial to the majority of the students and their independent learning was positively influenced The primary evidence was found in improvement of the students in terms of English task completion and their increasingly positive feeling and motivation From the findings of the research, it

is suggested that adapting a new approach in English language teaching should be considered in the context of the police institution

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES viii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the study 1

1.2 Aims of the study 3

1.3 Scope of the study 4

1.4 Methods of the study 4

1.5 Significance of the study 6

1.6 Organization of the thesis 7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 An overview of independent learning 8

2.1.1 Definition of independent learning 8

2.1.2 Influential factors in developing independent learning 10

2.1.3 Characteristics of independent learners in higher education 13

2.2 Tassinari's Dynamic Autonomy Model (DAM) for independent learning 14

2.2.1 An introduction of DAM model 14

2.2.2 Components of DAM model 15

2.3 An overview of Google Classroom 17

2.3.1 What is Google Classroom? 17

2.3.2 Advantages of GC in English language teaching 19

2.3.3 Relationship of GC and independent learning 21

2.4 Davis's Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for evaluation of GC

effectiveness 22

2.4.1 An introduction of TAM model 22

2.4.2 Application of TAM model adopted for measuring efficacy of GC 23

2.5 Previous studies 24

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26

3.1 Context of the research 26

3.1.1 Context of the police institution 26

3.1.2 Current English teaching and learning for non-English major students at the Academy 27

3.2 Design of the research 28

3.2.1 Rationale for the use of action research 28

3.2.2 Procedure of the action research 29

3.3 Participants of the research 36

3.4 Instruments of the research 36

3.4.1 Description of the questionnaires 36

3.4.2 Semi-structured interview 38

3.5 Procedures of data collection 38

3.6 Procedures of data analysis 39

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 40

4.1 Pre-intervention 40

4.1.1 The feasibility of the application of GC 40

4.1.2 The action-oriented dimension before the intervention 40

4.1.3 The social and affective dimension before the intervention 45

4.2 Intervention and Post-intervention 46

4.2.1 Research question 1: How did the application of Google Classroom affect the students’ independent learning in their English class? 46

4.2.2 Research question 2: What were the students’ opinions towards the application of Google Classroom in their English learning? 51

4.3 Summary of the findings 54

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 56

5.1 Conclusion 56

5.2 Pedagogical implications from the findings 56

5.3 Limitations of the study 57

REFERENCES 59 APPENDICES I

APPENDIX 1 I APPENDIX 2 II APPENDIX 3 VI APPENDIX 4 XI APPENDIX 5 XII APPENDIX 6 XIV APPENDIX 7 XVI APPENDIX 8 XIX APPENDIX 9 XXIV APPENDIX 10 XXVIII APPENDIX 11 XXIX APPENDIX 12 XXXI APPENDIX 13 XXXIII

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AR: Action Research DAM: Dynamic Autonomy Model EFL: English as a Foreign Language GC: Google Classroom

ICT: Information and Communication Technology TAM: Technology Acceptance Model

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Mean scores of the 5 items in Planning component 41

Table 2: Mean scores of the 6 items in Choosing materials and techniques component 42

Table 3: Mean scores of the 6 items in Completing tasks component 43

Table 4: Mean scores of the 4 items in Evaluating component 44

Table 5: Mean scores of the 3 items in Cooperating component 45

Table 6: Mean scores of the 3 items in Dealing with feeling and motivation component 46 Table 7: Mean scores of the 4 items in Planning component after application of GC 47

Table 8: Mean scores of the 4 items in Choosing materials and techniques component after application of GC 47

Table 9: Mean scores of the 5 items in Completing tasks component after the application of GC 48

Table 10: Mean scores of the 3 items in Evaluating component after application of GC 49

Table 11: Mean scores of the 3 items in Cooperating component after the application of GC 50

Table 12: Mean scores of the 3 items in Dealing with feeling and motivation component after the application of GC 51

Table 13: Mean scores of the 13 items on the students' perception of GC application in English learning 52

Figure 1: Student factors involving in independent learning 11

Figure 2: Hierarchy of enabling environment 12

Figure 3: The Dynamic Autonomy Model 16

Figure 4: Examples of classes on Google Classroom 18

Figure 5: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) 23

Figure 6: Cyclical AR model based on Kemmis and McTaggart 29

Figure 7: Students’ difficulty in choosing materials, resources and techniques, strategies for learning English 42

Figure 8: The competence of evaluating materials, resources and techniques, strategies for learning English 44

Figure 9: Following the English learning plan, post-intervention 47

Figure 10: The participants’ perspective on eagerness before and after GC intervention 51

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the study

English language teaching, learning and using in today’s world has witnessed tremendous development of English varieties worldwide, featured by dominance of English in a modern technology era of borderless communication According to Crystal (2005, 2011), digital revolution in an online world has given birth to a new branch of linguistics called “Internet Linguistics” As an international language, or a lingua franca, English is now spoken by over two billion people all over the world (Parupalli, 2019), whereas 379 million of them are native English speakers (Statistics, 2019) In higher education, increase of demand in using English as a teaching and learning medium is considered to be a parallel and unavoidable process resulting in improvement of international academic communication worldwide (Balan, 2011) More opportunities of learning and using English through various sources requires English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and students to implement a shifting focus from teacher-centered approach to student-centered approach Learners at all education levels have chances to get access to English contents outside of traditional class environment with their own control of time, activities and engagement, such as using the Internet, podcasts, online group discussions, TVs, electronic dictionaries, Skype, online news with multimedia (Nomass, 2012) For appropriate adaptation of those changes, it is necessary for EFL teachers in Vietnam to pay more attention to English students’ self-regulation, including their independent learning competence Article 40 of Vietnamese Education Law stated methods of education in higher education, which also highlighted the importance

of independent learning: “Training methods in higher education must be brought into play to foster the learners’ ability to be active learners, to study and to do research by themselves, and to foster their practical abilities, self-motivation, creative thinking, and ambition” (National Assembly of Vietnam, 2005:2)

In an attempt to inspire students’ engagement in English learning and ignite their independent learning skill, the author has discussed with many of non-English major students who are following the training curriculum at the police institution in which he has worked for six years While some students carry out active learning in English lessons and focus on using English for better job opportunities, there are a large number of students indifferent to improvement of self-regulation, stating that they learn English under constraint of training curriculum, not for other advantages A considerable group of students reported that English, as a compulsory subject, is the most struggling one Due to the dual objective of professional training knowledge in English (cognitive development) and practical language skills (linguistic development) within a course, many students reported that they need to remember a large number of vocabularies relating to police activities, for examples, crime scene investigation, drug-related crime, covert surveillance, cybercrime, human trafficking, forensic science and so

on Although supporting for the importance of English in today’s society, many

of them showed unwillingness in English for the primary reason of its no use in their prospective career as police officers Also, non-English major students in the institution tend to blame lack of communicative opportunities after in-class participation for their passive learning The author believes that only practicing English in classroom is basically not enough What makes an active student different from a passive participant is his or her collaborative attitudes and actions, eager to explore a subject by himself or herself with support of peers, mentors, or facilitators As Lam (2013) explained, the majority of Vietnamese students cannot develop the independent learning skill, following the passive methodology, silent atmosphere and unresponsive students As a result, the existing situation motivates the author to implement a model of teaching and learning which support students’ independent learning in English classes

At present, teaching and learning English is processed in an era where vast amounts of information are being accessed and transmitted electronically or

digitally With rapid development and application of digitalization, many models

of English teaching and learning regarding to information and communications technology (ICT) have been proposed by researchers, which also deals with independent learning One of the tools for active learning is Google Classroom (GC), the virtual platform developed and announced by Google in 2014 It is emphasized that GC can bring effective supports towards changing the focus from teacher-centered approach to learner-centered one, opening to inquiry, dialogue, and autonomous learning on the part of learners as active participants (Shaharanee, Jamil, & Rodzi, 2016) Besides, it has been shown that GC has a high potential to engage low English proficiency learners (Bakar & Noordin, 2018) and “generate greater participation and interaction between students, and between students and their teachers” (Heggart & Yoo, 2018: 140) In general, the fact that researches have indicated positive responses from participants about benefits of GC in English teaching and learning, consolidates the author’s belief

of adapting GC to impact on learner independence In addition, advantages of technology in education are always welcomed at the police training institution, with the ultimate purpose of making good studying environments for students However, to the best knowledge of the researcher, there is few comprehensive researches in application of GC in English teaching and learning at higher education institutions in Vietnam Furthermore, no study on GC application in promoting students’ English learning competence has been conducted at the police training institution Personally, the author decided to choose GC in his study among many other ICTs with a hope that it benefits non-English major students to improve their independent learning skills

1.2 Aims of the study

The study “Application of Google Classroom in promoting independent

learning of non-English major students in English class in a police institution”

was conducted to self-evaluate the impacts of the English teaching with support

of Google Classroom on the independent learning skills of non-English major

second-year police students at the People’s Police Academy The following objectives have been set in order to fulfil this aim: 1) To implement the application

of Google Classroom under core components of independent learning into an actual English learning curriculum; 2) To collect and analyze data from the students’ responses of the usefulness of Google Classroom and its impacts on their independent learning as well To its end, the research questions addressed in the present study are as follows:

1 How did the application of Google Classroom affect the students’ independent learning in their English class?

2 What were the students’ opinions towards the application of Google Classroom

in their English learning?

1.3 Scope of the study

Independent learning plays a vital role in the process of learning and using English either in daily communicative work or study It would be challenging for EFL teachers if they do not pay much attention to the active role of students in learning progress In the present study, the author does not mean to cover all the aspects of relating concepts Because of time constraint, this action research was conducted to testify perceptions of 32 second-year non-English major police cadets at the People’s Police Academy about their independent learning skills before and after the application of GC during their second English semester The research was carried out at the beginning of the first semester of the academic year 2019-2020 The author was also a participant in his research, playing the role

of an English teacher assigned to be in charge of the class in English lessons The instruments used in data collection comprise of survey questionnaires and semi-structured interview to achieve aims of the research In addition, GC activities were adapted as a kind of blended learning so that students could follow both in-class lessons and online participation in GC contents

1.4 Methods of the study

The research approach that the author employed is action research, following the procedures guided by steps in the action research cycle by Kemmis

and McTaggart (1988, as cited in Burns, 2010) To come to the analysis and findings, the questionnaires, and semi-structured interview were adapted as the data collection instruments The action taken in the study was application of GC designed for the duration of 14 weeks The author adapted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) initiated by Davis (1989) to scale the effectiveness of

GC application in the research Also, the Dynamic Autonomy Model (DAM) by Tassinari (2012) was adapted to measure independent learning of the participants The four stages of action research proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988, as cited in Burns, 2010) were conducted as follows:

Stage 2: Acting

In the second semester in which the action research was conducted, the English course was delivered to students in parallel mode: face-to-face English class was kept as scheduled and online topics in GC were added as extra activities for independent learning

Stage 3: Observing

In this stage, the author composed an online observation rubric integrated into GC topics to evaluate responses of students in discussion and assignments to find out existing issues While attending face-to-face class, the researcher also noted down existing issues that students had on their learning progress in GC and their recommendations of editing the lesson plans more appropriate to them This contributes to a look insight of efficacy of English lessons because with close

observation of students’ learning products in GC, the author could decide what activities should or should not be done next in other units

Stage 4: Reflecting

After the 14-week implementation of GC practice plan, the intervention questionnaire was surveyed to participants, aiming at measuring students’ perceptions on effectiveness of the application of GC towards their independent learning skills Three among the participants were randomly chosen

post-to participate in the semi-structured interview, enabling the author post-to collect more supportive in-depth statistics The research instruments would benefit to path the way of analysis process, contribute to find the answers of all research questions

1.5 Significance of the study

First, understanding how participants of the research perceive and regulate their independent learning in English class can help teachers and administrators design appropriate adjustments for the improvement of this competence Several of the current researches have been attempting to enhance autonomous learning in Vietnam at different educational levels (Dang, 2010; Thanh, 2011; Dang, 2012; Lam, 2013; Le, 2013; Ly, 2018) However, to the best knowledge of the researcher, no comprehensive research in students’ independent learning skills in English learning and teaching has been conducted in all police training institutions in Vietnam Thus, this study is hoped to provide an initial analysis of independent learning skills of police cadets in the Academy in particular and in Vietnamese police institutions in general

self-Second, this action research provides necessary insights into effectiveness

of the application of GC from local students’ opinions, directly contributing to the English teaching and learning for non-English major cadets at the People’s Police Academy when enrolling in English class Although many educational researchers and stakeholders in Vietnam have acknowledged the important role

of technology-based methods in improvement of self-regulated learning, limited empirical study has been found focusing on applying GC application for

improving this aspect of English competence in Vietnamese higher education By conducting this study, it is hoped that the findings may support EFL teachers to have a closer look at the recent situation of applying GC as a blended learning tool to motivate students’ independent learning efforts

1.6 Organization of the thesis

This thesis paper is organized into five chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction

The first chapter presents background, rationale, aims, research questions, significance, scope, and design of the present study

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter reviews relevant literature on independent learning, its construct and characteristics, presents an overview of applications of GC, its relationship with independent learning and introduces two recent models for evaluation of learner independence and technology acceptance as well

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

It presents the research context, detailed description of the research design, the methodology that was employed in the research, its participants, instruments of data collection, ethical considerations, data collection and analysis procedure

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion

The fourth chapter underlines a significant analysis of obtained data, followed by

a discussion on the findings of the study

Chapter 5: Conclusion

The final part, Chapter 5 highlights the main findings of the research, its limitations, and recommendations for future research in the field

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 An overview of independent learning

Independent learning and independent learning skills are significant topics

in educational studies at present As stated by Broad (2006:119), independent learning “is not a new concept, nor is it a concept where there is universal agreement on its meaning” The initial theoretical framework of the study relates

to definition, construct, and characteristics of independent learning

2.1.1 Definition of independent learning

Independent learning and independent learning strategies are multifaceted constructs which have been concerned by different researchers in the field of EFL practice and other educational practices as well As Benson (2006) argued, the 20th and 21st centuries were marked by a significantly emerging interest in autonomous learning However, it is still problematic to find an exact definition

of “independent learning” because it is a broad concept in educational studies, often understood as other synonymous terms with various possible interpretations, for examples, “self-regulated learning” (Pintrich, 2000), “self-directed active learning” (Birenbaum, 2002), “self-access learning” (Chia, 2005), “student-centered learning” (Black, 2007), “learning to learn” (Black et al., 2006), “learner autonomy” (Benson, 2001; Asuman, 2010; Kim, 2013) A collection of terms referring to “independent learning” was also introduced by Kesten (1987, as cited

in Broad, 2006:119): “autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning, student-initiated learning, project orientation, discovery and inquiry, teaching for thinking, learning to learn, self-instruction and life-long learning” Meyer et al., (2008) agreed that the terms “self-directed learning” or “learning how to learn” are sometimes used interchangeably with independent learning

Since synonymous terms mentioned share the same or similar notions with independent learning, recent researches have lengthy discussions and explanations regarding the definition of independent learning Despite the matter

of different wording, to a great extent, all these terms basically describe the same theme and process which is synonymous with independent learning Previous studies on independent learning have proven that students must be in charge of learning as active participants to manage their learning, taking responsibility for all the decisions concerning all aspects of their learning process Focusing on students themselves rather than relying on teachers’ support have been targeted and emphasized (Perry et al., 2006; Quality Improvement Agency, 2008) Other researchers have come to the similar conclusion, that independent learning deals with the ability to take control of one’s learning (Holec, 1991, as cited in Qi, 2012)

or self-responsibility of students for their own learning through making independent choices (Fotiadou, Mavroidis & Angelaki, 2017) Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that independent learning covers more than just self-awareness or learning in isolation According to Sam et al., (2012), Thomas (2014), Hendrick (2016), independent learning does not only involve learners working individually Instead, it is carried out by students, either on their own or with others (including teachers, peers, etc.) for social interaction It does not mean less instructions from tutors but rather particular instructions with the goal of learner independence

In higher education, while definition of independent learning and the role

of teachers and learners have been debating issues in foreign language teaching and learning, it is reasonable that independent learning needs to be promoted as a part of an ongoing, lifelong educational process, contributing to the gradual growth of students’ capabilities (Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe, 2007; Evrim, 2009; Sam et al., 2012; Minakova, 2013) In the context of university study, due to the variety of English teaching and learning strategies, it is important to equip a common definition for which EFL teachers and students agree on its meaning and interpretation Without such a definition, as Souto & Turner (2000) claimed, misconceptions or misinterpretations would occur In the current research, the terms “independent learning”, “learner autonomy”, “autonomous learning” and

other aforementioned terms are used interchangeably From the author's viewpoint, independent learning is the shift of responsibility for the learning process from the teacher to the student This shift in responsibility involves students having a comprehensive understanding of their learning, being motivated

to learn, working actively with teachers and peers to formulate their learning environment It means a lot more than students working solely on their own, rather

it emerges when students play a significant part in choosing their learning plans, discovering learning resources, finding problems, deciding their learning methods and strategies, reflecting on the outcome of their learning process

2.1.2 Influential factors in developing independent learning

Independent learning has been viewed differently by contemporary studies

in the aspect of its key elements, covering influences of socio-cultural factors on education in general and students’ learning in particular It is not a simple concept but covers nexus of elements relating to students as a key subject or an active agent of learning process and environment elements surrounding them Thanasoulas (2000) focused on internal elements consisting of learners’ cognitive and metacognitive strategies, attitude, motivation, and self-esteem In the book titled “Fostering independent learning: practical strategies to promote student success”, Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe (2007:3) introduced factors relating to

students involving independent learning (see Figure 1) In the dynamic system, a

factor can mutually impact other factors These factors comprise of holding positive learning motivations and emotions; setting goals, methods and strategies for learning; building academic skills; attending to and concentrating on instruction; employing effective cognitive and metacognitive strategies to assess learning and its efficacy; monitoring performance; conducting good time management; establishing productive working environment; using resources effectively; and collaborating for assistance from others when needed

In addition to the internal student factors shown in Figure 1, the external elements are factors influencing students’ independent learning

Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe (2007:4) showed the interaction of students and environmental elements, branching in instructional factors, familial factors, social factors and others Meyer et al., (2008) also listed the external factors including development of person-to-person relationship among family members, local community, teachers and students, along with an “enabling environment” in which ICT has an important role to play The “enabling environment” indicates that students do not necessarily study in isolation Instead, they can seek supportive collaboration with other people for their development Independent learners are “able to set up a favorable climate of learning for themselves by collaborating with peers, instructors and resource persons” (Usuki, 2000:4) Meyer et al., (2008) also proposed a hierarchy model of environmental support

needed for independent learning (see Figure 2) The model bases on five

sub-elements: the physical environment, the time environment, the peer environment, material resources and tutor resources As shown in the Figure 2, physical environment is the base in which independent learning takes place, for examples,

Figure 1: Student factors involving in independent learning

(Source: Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe, 2007:3)

classroom, library, blended learning or online learning At the top of the hierarchy

is the resources from tutoring, which refers to characteristics of teachers, tutors and their instructions The hierarchy proposes that independent learning needs all these ingredients to be facilitated for its effectiveness However, educational institutions should spend more attention and effort in creating better infrastructure for independent learning, taking advantages of ICT to connect the five factors, enabling students to explore their learning with reasonable supports of teachers and peers rather than relying on teachers’ materials and resources

Blidi (2017:13) also mentions the following influential factors affecting learner autonomy: 1) voluntariness (learners voluntarily join an independent learning program or engaging in any form of self-learning activities); 2) learner choice (learners can practice making decisions); 3) flexibility (learners can change learning variables, such as objectives or contents according to their needs and interests); 4) teacher’s role (teachers keeps a supportive role as a facilitator to formulate goals more clearly, and provides feedback, encouragement, and reinforcement for learners); and 5) peer support (peer scaffolding is necessary when learners interact and collaborate with their classmates)

Figure 2: Hierarchy of enabling environment

(Source: Meyer et al., 2008:23)

In the current research, it is necessary to choose certain influential factors

or set up parameters in a way that it can best fit the research context of the police institution where the author and participants are working in and the English curriculum as a compulsory subject that the participants must accomplish Due to preset English learning curriculum, coursebooks, in-class time allocation and lesson objectives, students have no means to change them, which limits their choice and flexibility as mentioned by Blidi (2017:13) Regarding external factors

of independent learning, the hierarchy model proposed by Meyer et al., (2008) is appropriate to the research context, whereas the influences of family and social community on students are not discussed in the current research

2.1.3 Characteristics of independent learners in higher education

A significant review of the international literature on independent learning

or learner autonomy discussed about characteristics of independent learners in higher education (Quoc Lap, 2005; Meyer et al., 2008; Borg & Al-Busaidi, 2012; McDonough, 2012; Healey, 2014; Tapinta, 2016; Yeung, 2016) Research findings to date indicate that characteristics of independent learners are divided into cognitive skills, metacognitive skills and affective (motivational) skills (Meyer et al., 2008) Cognitive skills include memory, attention and problem-solving Students need time and effort to reach certain level in their cognitive development, such as being able to connect new knowledge and prior knowledge

in meaningful ways, before they can administer independent learning Metacognitive skills are associated with students’ understanding of how learning occurs, for examples, students are able to self-assess how they learn or complete

an English assignment, to seek supports from other people Metacognitive elements are “the ability or capacity to take control, rather than responsibility, over the management of one’s learning, for instances, learning processes, resources and language use” (Little, 1991, as cited in Quoc Lap, 2005:24) Benson (2006) also mentioned metacognitive skills to goal setting, planning, problem-solving, self-monitoring and evaluation In addition, affective and motivational

skills relate to feelings and emotions, such as developing a value system, then internalizing and acting on these values (Meyer et al., 2008), include learner’s attitudes, willingness, readiness, and self-confidence (Quoc Lap, 2005) McDonough had the same notion of motivational and affective factors, that a learner’s intrinsic motivation to learn is influenced by emotional states, beliefs, interests, goals and habits of thinking (McDonough, 2012:33) Yeung (2016) discusses about affective characteristics of independent learners, including motivation as the primary impetus for independent learning, self-confidence to take charge of responsibility and independence from tutors

It can be summarized that successful independent learners are able to manage their motivation, affect, behavior, time management, cognition, academic skills, and context, through out three phases of self-regulation, namely preparation, performance, and appraisal (Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe, 2007:4)

2.2 Tassinari's Dynamic Autonomy Model (DAM) for independent learning

Independent learning process is believed to play a vital role in students’ success and lifelong learning However, it seems to be a complex task to measure independent learning of a student exactly at one moment of time As Nunan (2003) argued, there are different degrees and levels of learner autonomy Also,

“dependent learners” and “independent learners” are not categorically different, but they exist on a continuum of independent learning skills (Meyer et al., 2008; Rickabaugh, 2012) In this paper, the author adapted Tassinari's (2012) Dynamic Autonomy Model (DAM) as one of the theoretical frameworks for the purpose of autonomous learning self-evaluation of non-English major students at the police institution The DAM model is perceived to be appropriate for the aims and context of the current research, focusing on the internal student factors as stated

by Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe (2007), Meyer et al., (2008) and Blidi (2017)

2.2.1 An introduction of DAM model

The DAM model is proposed and developed by Maria Giovanna Tassinari, director of the Center for Independent Language Learning (CILL) at the Freie

Universität Berlin (Tassinari, 2015) The model with detailed descriptors of assessment items can be accessed online via the official website of the CILL center (Tassinari, 2012), either in German as original language or in English as a translated version The framework underpinning the DAM model is rooted from contemporary descriptions of learner autonomy and characteristics of autonomous learners, relevant to language learning contexts The DAM model has been adapted in current studies of English language both in Vietnamese context (Loi, 2017; Han, 2018; Phuong, 2019) and in foreign contexts (Berndt, 2012; Tamimi, 2017; Palfreyman, 2018; Wahyuni et al., 2020)

self-2.2.2 Components of DAM model

According to Tassinari (2012), learner autonomy is a complex construct that entails various dimensions and components In addition to cognitive, metacognitive and affective factors as mentioned in the previous section, the DAM model also mentions two more dimensions: action-oriented dimension and social dimension, which cover the same spheres as of cognitive and metacognitive factors Those dimensions are identified in details according to Tasssinari (2012, 2015) and Han (2018), including the cognitive and metacognitive dimension (knowledge, awareness, and learners’ beliefs); the affective and motivational dimension (learners’ feelings, emotions, motivation); the action-oriented dimension (skills, decisions, learning behaviors) and the social dimension (learning, negotiating learning with teachers, partners, advisors or native speakers) Dimensions of the DAM model are spheres of abilities, skills, and

actions (see Figure 3) They are expressed initially by verbs, concentrating on

their action-oriented and process-oriented characteristics: managing my own learning, planning, choosing materials and methods, completing tasks, monitoring, evaluating (action-oriented dimension); cooperating (social dimension); structuring knowledge (cognitive and metacognitive dimension); dealing with my feelings, motivating myself (affective, motivational dimension)

The model is regarded as dynamic because it allows learners to manage assessment of their independent learning in different learning situations (for examples, in classroom setting, in self-directed learning, in informal learning), while detailed descriptors do not refer to any specific situations or languages

self-Moreover, each component is closely inter-related to all the others while no hierarchy among these components is presented, except for “managing my own learning”, which wraps up the whole process of independent learning

The dimensions is then developed into 118 specific descriptors, including

33 macro-descriptors and 85 micro-descriptors (Tassinari, 2012), which constitutes a checklist covering the main areas of independent language learning Examples extracted from the component “choosing materials and methods”, with

“can do” affirmative macro-descriptors and micro-descriptors with three available options “I can do this”, “I want to learn this” and “This isn’t important for me”

Figure 3: The Dynamic Autonomy Model (Source: Tassinari, 2012:29)

are illustrated in Appendix 10 Within each macro-descriptor, several descriptors are listed with choices for differentiation in students’ independent learning competencies (Tassinari, 2012) The DAM model macro-descriptors are consistent with the framework of fostering independent learning skills suggested

micro-by Reinders (2010) The framework includes nine stages: identifying needs, settings goals, planning learning, selecting resources, selecting learning strategies, practice, monitoring progress, assessment and revision Due to the limitation of time, level of English competence of participants and aims of the present research, not all descriptors of the DAM model were used and adapted in the current research

2.3 An overview of Google Classroom

The virtual classroom, a synchronous form of blended learning or flipped learning, has been embraced by many institutions in their attempt to promote learning efficiency while trying to reduce travel time and costs associated with face-to-face teacher-centered training (Iftakhar, 2016) Because of the apparent benefits of blended learning, an increasing number of classrooms are providing access to online collaboration tools through different learning platforms, allowing students and teachers to communicate more flexible outside of classroom context

in real time Focus of the present research is Google Classroom, an online learning platform which is increasingly gaining in popularity and recommended for its important role and positive impacts on EFL in higher education (Beaumont, 2018; Khalil, 2018; Mafa, 2018; Bakar & Noordin, 2018; Kevin & Federico, 2019)

2.3.1 What is Google Classroom?

Google has released the product Google Classroom (GC) to the public in

on August 12th, 2014 as a learning management system (LMS) in Google Apps for Education (Kahn, 2014; Shaharanee, Jamil & Rodzi, 2016) Since March

2017, GC has allowed any individual who has Google account to create and teach classes using GC platform for non-commercial purposes, and it is believed that the application “can make technology work effectively in any learning

Figure 4: Examples of classes on Google Classroom

A numerous number of terminologies have been used as umbrella terms for the

GC application: LMS (Mafa, 2018); Web 2.0 tool (Khalil, 2018); e-learning (Wijaya, 2016); blended learning (Beaumont, 2018); virtual classroom (Bakar & Noordin, 2018) In the author’s view, these terms share common notions of GC

as an educational ICT application, which is believed to be a blended learning tool supporting for face-to-face classrooms

Features of GC are introduced in recent studies and updated regularly for its best integration with other tools of Google and user experience These includes, but not limited to, the following features: classroom management (managing students, groups, teachers, co-teachers), announcement, online discussion, assignment, drafting and scheduling, grading with rubric, multiple choice questions, feedback and correction, file sharing and editing, notification, due date and event setup, reuse with ease (copy of a post or of a class), support of course materials exchange, support of cross-platform devices (Google, n.d) The power

of GC is also vested in its direct integration to other powerful online tools, for

examples, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Slides, YouTube, Meet video calling, etc.)

2.3.2 Advantages of GC in English language teaching

For teaching and learning in general, as a free web-based learning application, GC is considered best suit for communication and interactions among instructors and learners (Bakar & Noordin, 2018; Mafa, 2018; Sukmawati & Nensia, 2019) Randy et al., (2018) also states that GC promotes paperless instruction for various kinds of assignments, making teaching and learning more productive, meaningful It is widely considered as one of the world’s top LMS, with over 40 million users in more than 230 countries after five years of implementation (IBL News, 2019) Updates of GC features are introduced regularly by Google, promoting more convenient collaboration in new teaching scenarios (Google, n.d) Therefore, it is important that educators understand their needs and GC’s benefits before implementing it into their practice

For English language teaching (ELT) in particular, since GC was launched

in 2014, the number of studies researching in the practical advantages of GC in ELT are limited All the articles and researches in the period 2014-2020 relating

to application of GC in ELT concluded that GC has an important role in English learning teaching (Sukmawati & Nensia, 2019) It can be useful for online English learning and teaching, bring positive influences on development of students’ English competencies in English courses (for examples, writing, speaking, grammar, presentation skills) as well as enhancing collaboration among instructors and students Benefits of GC in ELT have been affirmed in a series of studies conducted in different English teaching contexts

As stated by Shaharanee, Jamil & Rodzi (2016), GC can be utilized to become a pedagogical and cognitive tool to support in changing the ELT classroom from teacher-led approach to student-led learning approach, and open

to inquiry, dialogue, creative thinking and active participation With the announcement feature, GC enables teachers to give instructions easier and

manage their classes better The LMS also helps students to finish the syllabus on time as they could follow the schedule of classes from anywhere and anytime This view is supported by Bakar & Noordin (2018), Kevin & Federico (2019), Vynck & Bergen (2020) that GC has high potential to engage students who have low English proficiency owing to its advanced features making it user-friendly, simple, accessible and flexible to adapt With the support of GC application, EFL teachers can get better results in classroom management, tracking students’ learning progress, manage and support online classes at any places anytime with Internet connection Evidence from the study conducted by Iftakhar (2016) exploring the potentials of GC in English literature classes proved that GC is effective in contributing to collaborative English learning Khalil (2018) affirmed that GC has positive impacts on English grammar skill, enabling the teacher to provide corrective feedback on students’ errors and recommending suggestions for improvement Motivational and supportive feedbacks, comments of teachers

to students’ English writing assignments can be favored by GC as a based alternative to writing in paper (Apriyanti et al., 2018) The positive impact

technology-of GC on writing skill is also stated in the studies technology-of Zafrin (2018) that GC can create supportive environment for polishing writing skill of students Regarding the effectiveness of GC as an online medium of communication in learning English, it is agreed that GC is “the right media to facilitate the rapid delivery of information in English language education courses” and “very effective in supporting new insights and motivating students to learn English” (Syakur, Sugirin & Widiarni, 2020:480)

Although GC has been used in a wide range of learning contexts with beneficial features, in the author’s point of view, technology-based advantages should not be overused Instead, instructors need to consider other important inter-related elements influencing students’ learning progress, for instances, teaching methods, teaching materials, institutional policies, students’ awareness and self-regulation, as discussed by Dang (2006), Hong, Warren & Fehring (2014) The

study by Apriyanti et al., (2018) also concluded that GC, as all technologies, is only a supporting tool and teachers need to keep creative role in the classroom

2.3.3 Relationship of GC and independent learning

Not much research has been conducted in the field of connection between application of GC and independent learning of EFL students Therefore, in the present research, the author discusses about a more common correlation of technology-based learning course and independent English learning first, then GC

is stated later

The significant role of technology integration in independent learning of students has been widely suggested in various educational contexts As stated in the review of Meyer et al., (2008), ICT is an essential component of the enabling environment factor which are recognized for its importance towards independent learning in a wealth of international literature Furthermore, Noytim (2010) and Wang (2010) also concluded that computer-assisted tools (the Internet, weblogs and online materials, for examples) have positive enhancement to learner autonomy Blessinger & Wankel (2013) summarized that Web 2.0 social learning environments support independent learning through flexible integration of digital learning platforms, fostering collaborative learning and affective learning with meaningful and authentic learning activities, and fostering learner engagement The relationship between technology and autonomous learning is also discussed

in Reinders & White (2016) Accordingly, it is emphasized that the integration of technology in independent learning is “enabling a wide range of pedagogies that

… give more control to learners” (Reinders & White, 2016:150) Learner independence promoted through ICT is also mentioned in Joshi and Poudel (2019) that in English language classes, “ICT is just a tool, neither a method nor an actor

It should be used as a technique to manage the knowledge and a method for searching and integrating information” (Joshi & Poudel, 2019:74)

The tight relationship of technology-mediated courses and independent learning paves the way for the author’s assertation that GC, if properly used, has

a facilitating role in enhancing learner independence Within the domain of regulation and self-development, it has been found that self-satisfaction on the students’ behalf is evident when it comes to the usage of GC due to its usefulness, easy to use, and its practicality in accomplishing the intended tasks Accordingly,

self-GC can be used as an effective tool in active learning This view is shared by Shaharanee, Jamil & Rodzi (2016), showing that teachers can regularly control their observations, surveys, and analyses of student learning progress through GC course design In addition, the application of GC can be approachable and fit the framework of fostering independent learning skills suggested by Reinders (2010) and the blended learning model proposed by Yoon (2011) because advantages of

GC can bring potential benefits for both instructors and learners in self-regulation process, especially by support in managing assignments and discussions, rich resources, real-time monitoring, evaluation and feedback However, the author shares the viewpoint with Joshi & Poudel (2019) that the way teachers take advantages of GC features to organize independent learning is more important to consider than what GC can do because GC is just a technological tool, not a all-in-one pedagogical solution with preset resources

2.4 Davis's Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for evaluation of GC effectiveness

Since the foundation of GC in 2014, researchers have utilized survey questionnaires (Wijaya, 2016; Jakkaew & Hemrungote, 2017; Bakar & Noordin, 2018; Haggag, 2019) as a common research instrument to measure perception of teachers and students in effectiveness of using GC Some of researchers (Shaharanee, Jamil & Rodzi, 2016; Wijaya, 2016; Jakkaew & Hemrungote, 2017) suggested implementation of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for a thorough investigation in evaluating perceived usefulness of GC

2.4.1 An introduction of TAM model

The TAM model is originally proposed by Davis (1986) in 1986 and then further developed in empirical research (Davis, 1989) TAM has been proven to

be a theoretical model in helping to explain and predict user behavior of information technology (Farahat, 2012) TAM provides a basis with which one traces how external variables influence belief, attitude, and intention to use Two cognitive beliefs are posited by TAM: perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived

ease of use (PEU), see Figure 5

According to Park (2009), TAM shows that actual use of a technology system is influenced directly or indirectly by behavioral intention, attitude, perceived usefulness of the system, and perceived ease of the system

TAM also proposes that external factors affect behavioral intention to use (BI) and actual system use (ASU) through mediated effects on perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) Various scholars have adopted the TAM to study the technology acceptance and usage For instance, it has been successfully adopted in similar contexts like E-learning (Park, 2009; Almarabeh, 2014) and mobile learning (Al-Emran, Elsherif & Shaalan, 2016) A meta-analysis research using 88 published studies on TAM was conducted by King and

He (2006) concluded that TAM is a valid and robust model that has been widely used in technology application

2.4.2 Application of TAM model adopted for measuring efficacy of GC

It is agreed that students' behavioral intention to use GC is determined by two main beliefs: perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) PU refers to the degree to which a student believes that using GC would enhance the study performance, whereas PEU refers to the degree to which a student believes

Figure 5: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Source: Davis, 1989)

that using GC would be free from efforts In this aspect, TAM provides a solid background for the effectiveness of GC as a supportive tech-based tool in English language teaching and learning For a detailed scale of GC in different contexts, Shaharanee, Jamil & Rodzi (2016), Al-Maroof and Al-Emran (2018) analyzed components of the two former factors Behavioral intention to use (BI) and actual system use (ASU) were also included in the latter study In the present research, constructs of three TAM factors (PU, PEU, BI) presented in Al-Maroof & Al-Emran (2018) were adapted for measuring the participants’ perception of using

GC as a technology support for their in-class academic English lessons

2.5 Previous studies

Researchers have implemented studies relating to learner independence in EFL teaching and learning but a moderate number of them have chosen application of technology-enhanced courses to work on The use of GC related to independent learning in foreign educational contexts gets not much concern of researchers In Vietnam, the application of GC at higher education institutions has been discussed in a few of current articles (Vinh, 2019; Hào, 2019; Nga, 2019) and empirical research (Thuận, 2018) The research of Thuận (2018) about perception of participants in integration of GC and Google Forms in the EFL classroom in a university context reached the conclusion that students had positive attitude and high level of motivation in the learning process, and “the application

… helped them to become more autonomous learners” (Thuận, 2018:60), whereas, the current articles briefly introduce GC and its basic features without details of implementation in practice In broader concern of impacts of ICT-supported learning management on learner autonomy, researchers reach to a common agreement on positive effects of flipped learning (Phượng & Anh, 2017), blended learning (Giang & Nam, 2019), Internet and interactive tools (Lam, 2013)

on autonomous learning It is emphasized in the study of Giang & Nam (2019) that blended learning (supported by using Web 2.0 tools, including wiki, blogs, websites, etc.) has been carried out in many universities in Vietnam, showing its

appropriateness in Vietnamese higher education context, along with its contribution to independent learning and learner engagement In the context of police training institutions in Vietnam, Chung (2018) stated four difficulties affecting learners’ autonomous English learning, relating to aspects of technology, time allocation for self-study, scoring and learning engagement, Recognizing the main issue of low motivation of students for self-study at police institutions (Chung, 2018; Hoa, 2018), tech-supported courses are recommended

as one of necessary changes for promoting independent learning (Chung, 2018)

To the best knowledge of the author, no empirical study on impacts of GC

on independent learning in English classes has been conducted in specific contexts

of any police training institutions in Vietnam prior to this research Therefore, the present study appears to suggest a new path in EFL teaching and learning in Vietnam However, it should be noted that previous studies on independent learning and its relationship with technology-based instruments are beneficial and meaningful to this action research project

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter explains the methodology applied in the current study, which covers following contents of the research: context, design, participants, research instruments, procedures of data collection and data analysis

3.1 Context of the research

3.1.1 Context of the police institution

The research project was carried out at the People’s Police Academy - an institution under management of Ministry of Public Security The academy has been considered as one of the key educational training institutions in the police force of Vietnam, which is responsible for training cadets at graduate, master and doctoral degrees, and as a leading scientific research center of the police force in Vietnam Two major groups of students are trained at the academy annually: 1) full-time police students, and 2) in-service police officers The majority of students in the first group are non-English major students, who were chosen as population of the current study The academy also pays much attention to English teaching and learning for Vietnamese police cadets as well as those from police force of other countries in joint conventions of international cooperation in education and training The academy has made great efforts in developing its available training facilities and standardized learning environment, enabling students to take advantages of the best educational conditions for their learning in general and for English practice in particular Most of classrooms at the academy are attached with modern equipment and devices, for instances, a smart board, a computer, a projector, wireless speaker and air conditioners However, on account

of confidentiality and the police force’s strict regulations, the use of Internet connection and social networks is restricted inside the academy, except for certain open access areas with Internet provided by the academy such as the campus For this rule, teachers and students are not allowed to use mobile phones and Internet connection inside classrooms, lecture halls or libraries in the academy

3.1.2 Current English teaching and learning for non-English major students

at the Academy

At the police institution where the research was conducted, English is a compulsory subject in the course curriculum for non-English major students English language teaching and learning receives much concern and investment of the Directorate Board, featured by joint English development programs, commitment of the expected outcome in English for students, promoting English integration in teaching content subjects, fostering English proficiency for lecturers and compilation of English coursebooks for police For instances, English training programs in cooperation between the academy and the Regional English Language Office (RELO) sponsored by Embassy of the U.S has supported teachers and students of the academy in strengthening their English skills in the specific context of police force Since 2014, the academy has focused on integration of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) into specialized subjects for non-English major students majoring in crime scene investigation, law practice and forensic science (VTC News, 2018) As a required training outcome criterion for graduation, all non-English major students at the academy must fulfill English examinations to gain intermediate proficiency level in English (equivalent to B1 in the CEFR framework) To meet the demand of “dual capacity” in English communicative approach and specialized contents, the academy also compiled the series “English for Police” in 2016 which comprises

of two levels: elementary (A2) and pre-intermediate (B1) The Department of Foreign Languages were in charge of teaching English for students with the coursebooks’ topics, ranging from national security, the penal code of Vietnam, drug-related crime to human trafficking, extradition, etc The subject English is launched at the first semester of the curriculum for non-English major students, stretching over 3 consecutive semesters and accounting for a sum of 10 credits In the academic year 2019-2020, students of the course D44 attended 4 English periods weekly, lasting for 3 hours per week in total Although challenges for

English teaching and learning exist, new path of taking advantage of technology

as GC for English classes is feasible to implement at the academy considering to its regulations, available facilities and readiness of non-English major students

3.2 Design of the research

The current research is conducted to answer the two research questions: Research question 1: How did the application of Google Classroom affect the students’ independent learning in their English class?

Research question 2: What were the students’ opinions towards the application of Google Classroom in their English learning?

3.2.1 Rationale for the use of action research

Research in educational language development intends to bridge the gaps

in either teaching or learning process or both, aiming at the best learning opportunities for learners In higher education context, however, it is important for language teachers to find out pedagogical issues when the learning outcome and learner engagement do not occur as expected As stated by Burns (2010), those pedagogical issues urge teachers to carry research, to make necessary changes or decisions in teaching and learning practice for improvement of student learning within the same learning environment as prior to the action of changes

In such cases, action research (AR) proves its beneficial application in education, becoming a suitable research method for teachers who wish to improve their own teaching performance (Hien, 2009) AR is defined by Carr and Kemmis (1986, as cited in Burns, 2010:5) as “a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out” In addition, Lim (2007) regarded AR as a distinct form of educational research, featuring in a very specific aim of understanding problems and finding possible solutions related to teaching and learning in classroom and school contexts Accordingly, an AR design “cannot and should not be used to generate educational theories or test educational

theories” (Lim, 2007:3) The momentum in which the author carried out an AR is

to pursue a possible change and improvement of teaching and learning issues in a specific English classroom at the People’s Police Academy, not generated for other contexts

The central idea of AR proposed by Burns (2010), namely, intervening to bring about changes in practice, and exploring personal teaching context, enables the author to select it as the most appropriate method in his study

3.2.2 Procedure of the action research

The action phase of the present study was carried out in 14 weeks of the first semester of the academic year 2019-2020, following the curriculum of English for non-major students of the course D44 The author conducted his study

in four steps following the AR spiral proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988,

as cited in Burns, 2010), see Figure 6 This cyclical AR model is also supported

by the five-step process of an AR proposed by Norton (2009) Accordingly, the current research was conducted in one cycle, including: 1) Planning: identifying

Figure 6: Cyclical AR model based on Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)

(Source: Burns, 2010:9)

the problem and possible ways to handle it; 2) Acting: putting the plan into action; 3) Observing: noting down observation on the results of the plan; and 4) Reflecting: drawing out overall interpretations of the research process In the step Acting, the application of GC in teaching and learning English was implemented

as a blended learning tool Due to the limitation of time, the current study adapts only one cycle of AR, starting at identification of a context-specific problem and ending at reflection of the research findings When the “problem” is mentioned,

it does not necessarily relate to any problem of teaching Instead, it refers to a recognized area that the author wants to examine in more depth and possible solutions for it

Step 1: Planning

The author recognizes a common problem of English learning among a majority of non-English major students at the police institution where the author has been working in While many students can follow and complete English assignments in class as required at pre-intermediate and intermediate level, a large number of them still get stuck in low competency and cannot participate in English activities as effectively as expected The researcher-teacher asked a number of students why they are usually silent in class without improvement in a long-time English learning path One of the most common reasons is that they are not engaged in learning English either in class hours or after class, so they allocate little time for self-study in English, either with instructions of English teachers or on their own way with their classmates The pre-intervention questionnaire adapted from DAM model was conducted, focusing on students’ self-evaluation of their independent learning

in English class With responses of the questionnaire, the author had an initial overview of autonomous learning among students Furthermore, the researcher chose the application of GC approach to try out because it was agreed that the approach would be beneficial and appropriate for stimulating