An Investigative Study Of Senior High School Students’ Autonomous Learning Strategies In English Reading

With the development of the modern educational concept, traditional teachingmode has been challenged. Since Holec introduced autonomous learning into Englishteaching in1981, autonomous learning has been more and more popular, and now hasbecome an important educational thought in the field of education. Autonomouslearning advocates learners’ active and independent learning and the“learner-centered” teaching method, emphasizing that students should be the mainbody in teaching activities and cultivating students’ independent consciousness. Holecthinks that autonomous learning abilities consist of five aspects: setting learning goals,deciding the learning content and process, choosing learning methods and skills,monitoring learning process and evaluating learning effect. The new curriculumreform in our country also regards the task of improving senior high school students’autonomous learning abilities as a basic concept and an important goal in Englishteaching.With the rapid development of society and progress of science and technology,English reading also plays an increasingly important role in our life. English readingis one of the most important ways for language input, and students can learn newlanguage knowledge, get information and have fun by reading. However, there arestill many drawbacks in the traditional reading teaching mode. Teachers pay too muchattention to imparting knowledge and neglect the cultivation of readingcomprehension abilities. The current teaching method does not reflect Englishcurriculum standard very well, and students also have no enthusiasm or initiative ofparticipation. Therefore, teachers need to cultivate students’ reading consciousness,arouse students’ interest in reading in order to make students form good reading habitsand read creatively and effectively.The new curriculum reform in our country emphasizes improving senior highschool students’ autonomous learning abilities, so it is necessary to undertakestudents’ training of autonomous learning strategies in English reading. Therefore, the author is to investigate the senior high school students’ autonomous learning strategiesin English reading, intending to find out how teachers and students understandautonomous learning, how they master and use it, and what factors there are thataffect its application. The research objects are teachers and students of Senior HigherSchool Attached to Shandong Normal University. Specifically speaking,322studentsparticipated in the questionnaire survey, and10students and10teachers areinterviewed.The results of the investigation show that senior high school students just know alittle about autonomous learning and they can apply some specific autonomouslearning strategies in English reading, but overall application level is not high. Thefactors that affect seniors high school students’ application of autonomous learningstrategies in English reading are autonomous learning consciousness, learningmotivation, cognition, met cognition, teachers’ role, learning environment, etc.Through the analysis and discussion of the findings, the study puts forward thefollowing implications to improve senior high school students’ autonomous learningabilities in English reading.1. Cultivate students’ autonomous learning consciousness. The clearunderstanding and comprehension can make students grasp the essence ofautonomous learning, and thus apply autonomous learning strategies voluntarily inlearning.2. Stimulate students’ learning motivation. Positive learning motivation can playa positive role in students’ autonomous learning.3. Undertake guidance of cognitive strategies to the students. Correct cognitionstrategies can promote the students’ autonomous learning.4. Improve students’ met cognitive level. If students’ met cognitive levelimproves, students will be more likely to plan, monitor and adjust their own learningwell and become autonomous learners.5. Change the role of teachers. Autonomous learning requires teachers to changefrom the original knowledge imparter into designers, organizers and managers ofteaching activities and directors, helpers and promoters of students’ autonomous learning.6. Encourage cooperative learning among students. Cooperative learning amongstudents can make students exchange their learning experience, find their ownstrengths and weaknesses, and monitor their reading in order to promote their readinglearning.7. Create favorable learning environment, and promote students’ autonomouslearning.