The emergence of lifelong learning strategies through an action research study in second language learning

Authors

  • Helen Stavrou

Keywords:

Motivation, participatory action research, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English Language Teaching (ELT), Self-determination Theory (SDT), lifelong learning

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of lifelong learning strategies during an action research study investigating the impact of using popular cultural resources on the learning motivation of English as foreign language undergraduate students in higher education. The study was undertaken with 30 students enrolled in General Advanced English courses over a 13-week period. Throughout the action research phases, students were given multiple opportunities to work with resources aligned to their own interests as learning prompts to reinforce course learning objectives. Weekly diary entries, online surveys, focus groups and practitioner field notes were used as data sources. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which necessitated a rapid transferal of all courses to an online mode, the study was modified and undertaken within an online teaching environment. The results indicate that using popular cultural resources such as popular song, TV series and film as learning prompts positively impacted student learning motivation in addition to facilitating the emergence of lifelong learning strategies.

Published

2021-12-31

How to Cite

Stavrou, H. (2021). The emergence of lifelong learning strategies through an action research study in second language learning. Action Learning and Action Research Journal, 27(2), 11–48. Retrieved from https://alarj.alarassociation.org/index.php/alarj/article/view/327