The Promotion Of Utonomous Learning Through Atribution Training

In this experiment, the author studies the function of attribution training in autonomous learning in English classes. The purposes of the research were to explore whether attribution training could promote low achievers' English study in the process of autonomous learning under Network Circumstances. Subjects of the experiment were 89 freshmen in two classes in Grade 2006 in Guangxi University. All of them were non-English majors. The two classes, one of which was the experimental group, the other being the control group, shared the same English teacher, namely the author. Students in the experimental group accepted attribution training in the process of autonomous learning, while only autonomous learning was conducted in the control group. The experiment consisted of three stages, at which the author collected both quantitative and qualitative data from the three aspects of students' learning attitudes, their learning behavior and their achievements. All quantitative data were handled through SPSS v13.0. The approach and instruments used to collect data included questionnaires, observations, group discussion, study record cards, exams and the teaching-evaluation system in the campus-wide information systems. The following were the research hypotheses: 1) Low achievers who receive attribution training in autonomous learning will have more positive attitudes than high achievers who are only offered autonomous learning training. (2) Attribution training can spur low achievers to study harder than the high ones who do not get attribution training, which is manifested both by students' classroom learning and how much time they spend on study out of class. (3) In the training process of autonomous learning, the achievements of low achievers who receive attribution training will be greater than that of high achievers who do not take attribution training. The training results show that attribution training can help students adjust their attitudes to favor College English teaching and learning, and that the training can promote their devotion to English learning, which is the most obvious at Stage 1. However, in the whole process of training, students' improvement in achievements occurred at Stage 2, but the improvement was not very stable, so the third hypothesis needs more study. To sum up, it can be concluded that it is necessary and effective to conduct attribution training in English autonomous learning, but to popularize the training in College English teaching and learning at present will encounter many difficulties.