Effects Of Teacher Autonomy Support On Learner Autonomy In Efl Flipped Learning Context

Flipped learning is a pedagogical model worked with active learning and centered on students,which modifies the way of time spending both in and outside the class.With the extensive application of information communication technology in teaching and learning,together with the dominant teaching philosophy of learner-centeredness and the increasing studies proving the effectiveness of flipped learning in enhancing students'learning performance,improving their motivation and fostering active learning,flipped learning has been increasingly applied to various courses in recent years.Meanwhile,with learner autonomy being a hot topic in 21^st century,most researchers and teachers hold the view that foreign language education should aim at cultivating students'learner autonomy.Thus,it has become a problem demanding prompt solution for English teachers to provide students with proper autonomy support so as to foster students'English learning autonomy.On the basis of the above concept and especially of the relevant theoretical and practical research both abroad and at home,the writer explored the effect of teacher autonomy support on students'learner autonomy in EFL flipped learning context through answering the two questions:?1?Are there any differences in learner autonomy between the two groups of students,who were provided with different levels of teacher autonomy support in EFL flipped learning context??2?To what extent do the factors of teacher autonomy support affect learner autonomy in EFL flipped learning context?The present research is a combination of quantitative and qualitative study on the influence of teacher autonomy support on learner autonomy in EFL flipped learning context.The experimental study was carried out among 110 non-English major undergraduates from 4 classes of same English course with two different English teachers,who have applied flipped learning in their English teaching,but they held different views towards the degree of teacher autonomy support that they should provide to students.Questionnaires,class observation and interview were carried out to investigate the research questions of the study.The results indicated that in EFL flipped learning context,students from the two classes taught by the teacher who has provided students with more autonomy support have made more significant improvements in learner autonomy.Moreover,in EFL flipped learning context,the combination of the four factors of teacher autonomy support:strategy support,critical mindset support,inner motivational resources support and team opportunities support,are capable of predicating students'improvement in learner autonomy to a certain degree.The findings could provide references to theoretical basis and suggestions for instructors to cultivate learner autonomy in EFL flipped learning context and offer references for future relevant research both in theory and practice.