Significant Learners’ Factors and English Language Learning: Ecological Approach to ELT:

Significant Learners’ Factors and English Language Learning: Ecological Approach to ELT:

Researcher: Achara Wongsothorn

Research Assistant: Chatchada Twichatwitayakul

Chulalongkorn University Language Institute

2007

page 204/20/23 Presentation

The ecological approach presented here stemmed from the work of Bronfenbrenner (1979).

In adopting this system perspective, psychological evaluation of a student's functioning is done within the context of her/his mesosystem (immediate family, extended family, neighborhood, school, and other networks), macrosystem (community or culture), and exosystem (society/social structures).

Preamble


Socio-Cultural Theory of Learning

Van Lier (2004) discusses the following issues in his ecological approach to language learning theory and practice.

Perception and action in semiotic contexts The emergence of language abilities in

meaningful activity The dynamics of social interaction The quality of educational experience


The paper will provide definitions and background

of the study by reporting impact of related research,

research methodology, results and implications.

Attention will be given to the significant factors related to

learning.


This classroom centered research employs three cohorts of graduate students taking the Chulalongkorn University Language Institute’s Academic English for Graduate Studies Course” (GE 5500-532). The purposes to study are to investigate (1) the learners’ self perception, and their attitudes towards the teacher, and the teaching-learning methods used, (2) ecological factors and classroom management, and (3) relationships between learners’ factors, namely their EQ, background, attitude and perception and their achievement.

Background of the study


The approach employs psycho - educational intervention within the student’s sociocultural context and his/her perception of the learning environment and allows for a more accurate assessment of the student's psychological functioning and a broader understanding of the four crucial issues affecting the student’s language learning (Van Lier, 2004)


Both the student and the systems are continually changing. In the teaching-learning process, ecological approach adopts the concept of psychoeducational intervention focusing on the student as physiological and psychological developments. . This approach allows for a more accurate assessment of the student's psychological functioning and a broader understanding of the crucial issues affecting the student. Application of this approach in psychoeducational intervention with Southeast Asian students includes collecting and integrating information from various aspects of the sociocultural context and then developing intervention procedures or the teaching-learning system based on understanding of both this context and the student. In sum, the approach is holistic rather than analytic.


A research project entitled “Ecological Approach to English Language Learning Factors of Student Attitude and Perception toward their Teacher and Classroom Interaction in Chulalongkorn University Language Institute’s Academic English for Graduate Studies Course” is being conducted employing the ecological approach with the purposes to study (1) the learners’ self perception, and their attitudes towards the teacher, and the teaching-learning methods used, (2) ecological factors and classroom management, and (3) relationships between learners’ factors, namely their EQ, background, attitude and perception and their achievement.

Purposes of the study


Expected Outcomes of the Study

It is expected that this research would create knowledge and understanding about the roles of perception and ecological factors in ELT for academic purposes, and that learners’ micro system, ecosystem, macro system, and ecosystem impacting their ELL would be better understood.


Research Procedures

Subjects: 3 groups of graduate students taking Academic

English for Graduate Studies course from ay 2005-2006 numbering 28, 27 and 32 respectively

Instruments1. EQ measures

2. Attitudes measures


Learner Variables

Perception: Presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image

In education, it has been proven that positive self-perception, or high self-esteem, is conducive to the developmental process. Self-perception has been shown to reflect developing cognitive abilities and social circumstances (Dusek & Flaherty, 1981; Stanwyck, 1983).


College Student Self-Perception

More specifically, academic self-concept refers to a student's perceptions of his or her academic abilities (House, 1992).

Hamachek, 1995 and House, 1993 show that students' self concept is significantly associated with academic achievement.

Loeb and Magee (1992) suggest that students with low self-esteem who find it difficult adjusting to college academics may benefit from contextual support resulting in their satisfaction with college and improved self-image.

Contextural support comes from such sources as faculty, peers, and family.


Bernat (2005) discusses research results revealing that attitudes toward learning, and the perceptions and beliefs that determine them, may have a profound influence on learning behavior.


Support and interaction with faculty may be related to students' academic achievement and self-concept (Gerdes and Mallinckrodt (1994).


Contextual Support

=

Support from Ecological Variables


Objectives

This study investigated 1. the impact of ecological variables including learner variables and learner-related variables,

particularly learner perception and attitudes on English learning achievement of three cohorts of graduate students. 2. the strength and directions of the relationships


Expected Outcomes of the Study

It is expected that this research would create knowledge and understanding about the roles of perception and ecological factors in ELT for academic purposes, and that learners’ micro system, ecosystem, macro system, and ecosystem impacting their ELL would be better understood.


Ecological Variables/Factors

The independent variables in this research are either learner variables or learner-related variables. They are: 1. self-perception 2. emotion quotient 3. attitudes towards teaching-learning processes employed and the teacher


Self-Perception

1. My best friend and intimate friendship 2. Social acceptance relationship with the parents. Loving relationships, humor, morality 3. Global appreciation 4. Social notation of the family scale 5. Perception of the physical appearance


Emotion Quotient

1. Goodness 1.1 Self-control 1.2 Empathy 1.3 Responsibility 2. Smartness 2.1 Motivation 2.2 Decision-making and problem solving 2.3 Relationship


Emotion Quotient (cont.)

3. Happiness 3.1 Being proud of oneself 3.2 Life Satisfaction 3.3 Peacefulness of mind


1. Submitting assignments by e- mail is useful 2. Submitting assignments by e- mail is appropriate 3. Saving time factor of transaction by e-mail 4. E-mail transaction for assignments is interesting

Attitudes towards IT: E-mail and Website


Attitudes (cont.)

5. Submitting assignments by e- mail helps make transaction with the teacher faster 6. Receiving graded assignments by e-mail is appropriate 7. Receiving graded assignments by e-mail is useful


Attitudes (cont.)

8. Receiving graded assignments by e-mail saves classroom time 9. Receiving graded assignments by e-mail is interesting 10. Attitudes toward e-mail transaction for assignments (1) Receiving graded assignments by e-mail helps student obtaining useful corrections of their work


Attitude (cont.)

(2) Receiving graded assignments by e-mail helps student obtaining useful explanation and corrections of their work (3) Receiving graded assignments by e-mail helps student obtaining only useful explanation without any corrections for improvement of their work


Attitudes (cont.)

11. Teacher assignments on the website 12. Textbooks and handouts distributed by the teacher 13. Materials in the self-access language learning center


Attitudes toward teaching-learning procedures

1. Teacher classroom management 2. Peer assessment 3. Teacher assessment


Learner variables

Sex

Age

Regarding oneself as a Bangkokian or as a person from other parts of Thailand

Years of English learning


Dependent variables

ProjectMidterm testsFinal examsAssignments and

participation


Findings: Relationships among the variables

On the following slide


Abbreviations

ASS=assignment EQ=emotion quotient EQ sm=emotion quotient regarding smartness EQ happy=emotion quotient regarding happiness EQ good=emotion quotient regarding goodness Final=final examination Lev. Of St. Eng.=grade level of starting English learning Midterm=midterm examination Par=classroom participation Peer=peer assessment Proj=project works Self-id=self identification (being a Bangkokian or not) YE= years of English learning


Consistency of significant relationships

Cohort 1Ass&Par~Project

Sex

Age~Self-Identif.

Y.E~Self-id, Lev. of St.E

EQ-sm~EQ-gd.

EQ-hap~Proj.

EQ-gd,sm.

Peer~Ass&Par

Ass&Par~Mid-

term

Cohort 2Sex~Proj.

Age~Proj.

Self-Id~Level

of St.E,

Year of Eng.

Y.E~Level of

St.E

EQ-hap~EQ-sm.

Att.teach~Proj.,

Sex,Self-Per.

Peer~Final,Midtm

Self-id~Ass&Par.

Level of St.E~

Ass&Part

Cohort 3Ass&Par~Proj

Sex~Ass&Part

LofSt.E~Self-id

Y.E~Self-id,Lof

St.E

EQ-H~Proj,EQ-

gd, EQ-sm

EQ-Sm~EQ-good

Peer~Ass&Par

Ass&Part~<Mid

term


Significant Positive Relationships

Assignment and Classroom Participation and ProjectYears of English~Self-id, Level of Starting English

EQ-sm~EQ-gd.

EQ-hap~Proj.

EQ-hap~EQ-gd,sm.

Self-Id~Level of Starting English, and Years of English

Y.E~Level of Starting English

EQ-hap~EQ-sm


Conclusion of Findings ofSignificant Positive Relationships

Years of English Learning and Self Identification and Grade Level of Starting English Assignments&Participation and project work

● Years of English Learning and Self Identification and Grade Level of Starting English

● EQ-smartness and EQ-goodness

● EQ-happiness and Project work


Recommendations

Project work Participation

Years of EnglishGrade level of starting English

Self-identification

EQ:goodness,smartness, happiness


For teaching and learning

● Cultivation of learning EQ generates learning effectiveness and positive attitudes toward learning.

● Starting English learning early generates positive learning outcomes as well as positive attitudes toward oneself.

● Positive self-perception, or high self-esteem, is very crucial in the developmental process. Self-perception has been shown to reflect developing cognitive abilities and social circumstances (Dusek & Flaherty, 1981; Stanwyck, 1983). By late adolescence, a coherent and intergrated self-perception can emerge.


Role of EQ and Student Autonomy

●EQ—happiness is related to achievement in doing project work. Thus students’ autonomous learning by researching and developing individual projects should be carried out as the tasks go together with the joy of learning.


Negative Relationships

Significantly consistent negative relationships

● Peer~Ass&Participation

● Ass&Par~Mid-term


Conclusion of Findings ofSignificant Negative Relationships

Consistent findings from the three cohort studies confirm the fact that there were significant negative relationships

●among peer assessment, assignment and classroom participation and

● between midterm test results and peer assessment


Recommendations

For Classroom Practice1. Midterm test and peer

assessment may not work very well together. The former is for formal learning and assessing while the latter is for an informal and on-going process in which learners help, participate together rather than depending on teacher assessment. One may be sacrificed for the reliability and validity of the other teaching-learning process.


Recommendations (cont.)

2. Grades from peer assessment are derived from learners grading one another while classroom assignment grades are from teacher’s grading and students’ consistency in submitting their works. Peer assessment seems not to be related to regular teacher assessment of student assignments. The use of the two assessment methods together may balance out biased grading either by the teacher or by the students .


References and Further Readings

Bernat, E. (2005). “Beliefs about language learning: Current knowledge, pedagogical implications and new research directions”, TESL-EJ:Teaching of English as a Second

or Foreign Language. June 2005, vol. 9, no. 1. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Dusek, J. B., & Flaherty, J. F. The development of self-concept durin

g the adolescent years. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development,46, (4, Serial No.191).

Gerdes, H. & Mallinckrodt, B. (1994).Emotional, social and academic adjustment of college students: A longitudinal study of

retention. Journal of Counselling and Development. 72: 28

Hamachek, D. (1995), Psychology in teaching, learning and growth. (5 th. Ed). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.


References (Cont.)

House, J.D. (1993). The relationship between academic self-concept and school withdrawal. The Journal of Social Psychology. 133:11, 125-127

Loeb, R.C. & Magee, P.M. (1992), Changes in attitudes and self-perceptions during the first two years of college. Journal of College Student Development, 33, 348-355.

Stevick, E.W. (1983). Teaching languages: A way and ways. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

Van Lier. L (2004). The Ecology of Language Learning. Monterey Institute of International Studies Paper presented at the UC Language Consortium Conference on Theoretical and Pedagogical Perspectives March 26-28, 2004. (http://uccllt.ucdavis.edu/leo.cfm)

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Significant Learners’ Factors and English Language Learning: Ecological Approach to ELT: