Özet:
The primary goal of this study was to foster Turkish high-school EFL learners’
autonomous learning skills through group language advising sessions. These sessions
which were held by sharing one class time to advising purported to increase learners’
control over their own learning with the implementation of advising strategies and
practices based on the conceptual framework of Kato and Mynard (2015). The study
was conducted within two different classrooms in two different high-schools by two
teacher-advisers who were certified as student coaches. 64 learners aged 14 and 15
studying as nineth graders were involved in this study. 39 of them were females and
25 were males. Data collection period was consisted of six weeks in the fall semester
of 2019-2020 academic year. The methodology was the incorporation of quantitative
and qualitative data collection processes as mixed method study in a case-study
design. Autonomous Habits and Attitudes Towards Group Language Advising and
Peer Advising Questionnaire (AHAAQ) developed by the researcher following the
pilot study was utilized as pre and post-test to see if there is a statistically significant
change in learners’ autonomous learning activities, attitudes towards autonomy and
peer advising practices. The results were analyzed statistically with ANOVA and
paired sample t-test using SPSS. In addition, open-ended questionnaires sent after
each session for six weeks in online format and audio-recordings of each session
were used to gain insight as to the extent of this change in learners’ autonomy,
correlation between peer advising and learner autonomy and the attitudes towards
group language advising sessions with their reasons. These instruments as well as
semi-structured interviews with both teacher-advisers and 12 non-autonomous
learners were also used to triangulate the data collected from questionnaire or
interchangeably. The data obtained from these instruments and transcribed in
Microsoft Excel were analyzed through thematic analysis. During the analysis,
Candy’s (1991) 13 autonomous learner characteristics and Kato and Mynard’s
(2015) segment of learner autonomy and reflection were made use of in addition to
emerging themes gained from the study for the other parts.
The findings of the study revealed a positive correlation between group language
advising sessions held and learners’ autonomous activities, attitudes towards learner
autonomy and peer advising practices in a statistically significant degree.
Furthermore, qualitative findings disclosed that most of the learners (S=41) enhanced
in terms of autonomous learner characteristics, the highest three of which were
motivation, awareness and being skilled at learning in contrast to being creative and
flexible as the least. It was also discovered that learners conveyed more positive
attitudes towards group language advising sessions, the most emergent reasons of
which were peer interaction, their efficiency and teacher-advisers. It was additionally
found out that peer advising enabled them to increase their knowledge about more
techniques and methods by listening to peers’ suggestions and experiences and
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collaborating or interacting with others. All in all, these group language advising
sessions were highlighted to be efficient in helping learners to become more aware,
effective, motivated and autonomous language learners in a collaborative way having
some concerns, as well. The study was also concluded with some tips and further
recommendations to hold more useful group language advising sessions.