Author/s:
Nasri, Najmeh*
University of Isfahan, Iran (Nasri.eng200@gmail.com)
Eslami Rasekh, Abbas
University of Isfahan, Iran (abbasseslamirasekh@yahoo.com)
Vahid Dastjerdy, Hossein
University of Isfahan, Iran (h_vahid@yahoo.com)
Amirian, Zahra
University of Isfahan, Iran (z_amirian@yahoo.com)
Abstract:
The present study attempts to investigate Iranian EFL high school teachers’ perceptions about the importance of autonomy promoting strategies. The study also purports to investigate the actual practice of the participant teachers for promoting their learners’ autonomy. For this purpose, a questionnaire adopted from Chang (2007) was distributed among 97 Iranian EFL high school teachers. Among the participants, 88 answered the questionnaires completely and constituted the sample size of the study. Wilcoxon Ranks Test revealed a significant difference between the teachers’ perception and their practice. Additionally, interview data were explored to delve into the problems which cause the gap. The interviewees referred to lack of time, university entrance exam, as well as insufficient teacher training as the major causes of the problem. The findings provide implications for language teachers and those in charge of teacher education programs.
Keywords: learner autonomy; teachers’ perception; teachers’ practice; questionnaire; interview
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2015.998
*Corresponding Author