This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Po-ying, C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

How students react to the power and responsibility of being decision makers in their own learning

University of Leicester, UK

Students are rarely given the opportunity of being decisionmakers in class, and when they are, they may feel unsure of how to organize their own learning. However, over time they come to appreciate the benefits of a more active engagement in learning English. In this paper, I describe a procedure based on Exploratory Practice (EP) for guiding students in the investigation of their own learning, and use students' journals, worksheets and course feedback to show their reactions to the experience. Discussion focuses on two main areas. The first is the importance of seeking understanding, rather than trying to find solutions to problems that may disappear once they are understood. The second is the advantage of building on students' strengths rather than limiting attention to their weaknesses. Some concerns about using EP with learners are discussed, for the benefit of teachers who would like to experience practitioner research in the future.

Language Teaching Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, 225-241 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/136216880607074613


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?