Exploring The Relationship Between English Majors’ Positive Interdependence And Autonomous Learning Ability Under The PBL

Since late 1970 s,the foreign language teaching has recognized the learner-centered teaching principle.It pays attention to learner autonomy,collaborative learning and learning through tasks.Foreign language educators began to pay attention to project-based foreign language teaching.Autonomous learning has received extensive attention since the 1970 s.The researchers have made a comprehensive discussion on the theoretical basis,influencing factors and training strategies of autonomous learning.The research showed that project-based learning is helpful to cultivate and to improve the consciousness and ability of autonomous learning.The project-based language learning emphasizes cooperative learning,and the effectiveness of cooperative learning must meet one of the five basic elements,one of which is positive interdependence.The present study combines quantitative and qualitative research methods.A questionnaire survey was conducted among 73 English majors who had attended project-based learning class.10 students were randomly selected by the author to conduct semi-structured interviews.The relationship between English majors’ positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability under the project-based learning teaching model is discussed by answering the following three research questions: 1)What is the current situation of English majors’ positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability under the PBL? 2)Is there any correlation between English majors’ positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability under the PBL? If correlated,how strong is the correlation? 3)To what extent can positive interdependence predict English majors’ autonomous learning ability? To what extent can English majors’ autonomous learning ability predict students’ perceived positive interdependence?The results under the context of project-based language learning are like the following.Firstly,Chinese English majors are of fine positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability.The entire positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability are at a medium level.Positive goal interdependence is the morefrequently perceived type of positive interdependence.Secondly,there exists a significant positive relationship between English majors’ positive interdependence and autonomous learning ability,which is at a medium level.Finally,compared with positive resource interdependence,positive goal interdependence is more helpful to improve English majors’ autonomous learning ability.Use of learning strategies and evaluating the learning process can significantly predict the positive interdependence.