Autonomous while reading: A quantitative and qualitative study of the relationship between Norwegian VG1 student’s perceptions of Learner Autonomy and Reading Literacy.

Abstract

Abstract:

The aim and purpose of this thesis is to explore and investigate the relationship between the student’s perceptions of learner autonomy and reading literacy amongst Norwegian VG1 students of English. This was done through looking at how students perceived learner autonomy as a concept but also to what extent they perceived themselves to be autonomous, how learner autonomy affect the way learners read and what reading strategies they report to use. These aspects were examined using a mixed methodology approach making use of both a questionnaire and interviews with the learners. Learner autonomy is in this study seen as the learner's capacity to take charge of their own learning. It is a key concept in facilitating independent and effective learning. It is based on the assumption that all learners have a natural inclination towards being autonomous and taking control over their learning. It has been given some prominence in key national curricula both for core curriculum and general English studies curriculum. Reading literacy is the use, understanding and engagement with literary texts. Reading literacy is based on the use and proficiency of reading, a complex interplay of lower-level and higher-level cognitive processes. A way for learners to aid themselves in reading and improved their reading literacy, is employing reading strategies. A reading strategy is a specific tactic or solution to a problem involving the learner taking various measures to improve their comprehension or effectiveness. The thesis tied to students in VG1, a total of 40 students participated from two different schools participated in the study. All 40 completed the questionnaire and out of these 8 were interviewed, after volunteering. The results show that students care about learner autonomy. They perceive themselves to be autonomous, but that this changes depending on context. Learner autonomy to a certain extent affect the way the learners in that autonomous students are more perceptive of the ways they read and are more likely to be positively motivated towards reading. Learners also use a variety of reading strategies, often tailoring them to specific texts or tasks, but general have some they prefer to use frequently. Learners perceive learner and teacher roles distinct and different. However, they see them both as fluid identities. The results indicate that there is a connection between reading literacy and learner autonomy and they, when considering the factor of motivation, a have reciprocal relationship.