Speaker
Description
Autonomy is not an inborn ability and it is believed that learners must be instructed to be autonomous learners. Therefore, in the enhancement of language learner autonomy, teachers are believed to play crucial and indispensable roles. Though the topic of teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy has been investigated in a variety of language learning settings with a variety of language learners, very little has been known about the context of blended learning. This multiple-case study explores teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy in the context of EFL blended-learning classes at a college in Hanoi. The researcher employs three different instruments for data collection, including teachers’ reflections, interviews, and class observations. The employment of three data collection instruments creates a triangulation of data, which ensures the accuracy and reliability of the research results. The results reveal a discrepancy between teachers’ perceptions and actual practices of teachers’ roles in fostering learner autonomy. New findings related to teachers’ perceived roles can also be found among the teacher participants. This research is conducted with the hope of raising teachers’ awareness of their vital roles and calling for proper solutions to existing problems in enhancing learner autonomy in the context of EFL blended learning.
