LANGUAGE TEACHING RESEARCH
Implementing reflective
portfolios for promoting
autonomous learning among
EFL college students in Taiwan
Ya-Fen Lo
National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences
Abstract
This article depicts challenges for students and teachers involved in developing a reflective portfolio to promote autonomous learning in Taiwan. One hundred and one students in a Taiwan university completed their individual portfolio projects. A pre-course questionnaire, post-course self-evaluation, and the instructor’s field notes were the data collection tools. The pre-course questionnaire results showed the students had neither experience of compiling portfolios nor knowledge of autonomous learning. The teacher could not let all decision-making power go to such inexperienced students. Instead, the teacher’s role needed to alternate between decision-maker, facilitator and resource person to help the students learn to be autonomous. The students’ major tasks were to manage their time and learning, and develop the critical thinking skills considered inadequately taught in Asia. The portfolio enabled the students to engage in multi-domain learning and to practise autonomous learning. The students’ awareness of autonomous learning was thus enhanced. Pedagogical suggestions are made for improving the effectiveness of portfolios for promoting autonomous learning.
Keywords
portfolio, autonomous learning, critical thinking, EFL, Taiwan
I Introduction
Portfolios have been used extensively in such professions as architecture and photogra-phy as systematic collections of work selected for the purpose of presentation or evalua-tion. Since the 1980s increasing numbers of practitioners in English as a foreign language
Corresponding author
Ya-Fen Lo, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, 415 Chien Kung Road, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan.
Email: loyafen@cc.kuas.edu.tw
Language Teaching Research 14(1) 77–95 © The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission: http://www. sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermission.nav DOI: 10.1177/1362168809346509 http://ltr.sagepub.com
78 Language Teaching Research 14(1)
(EFL) have adopted the concept and implemented it in their teaching. An extended collection of scholarly research and practitioners’ reports has now documented the bene fits of portfolios and supported their use in EFL classrooms (Padilla, Aninao, & Sung, 1996; Hamp-Lyons & Condon, 2000; Delett, Barnhardt, & Kevorkian, 2001; Allen, 2004; Nunes, 2004). The benefits, as summarized by Delett et al. (2001, p. 559), are that port-folios provide ‘a portrait of what students know and what they can do, offer a multidi-mensional perspective of student progress over time, encourage student self-reflection and participation, and link instruction and assessment’.
This learner-centred approach encourages learners to actively participate in every aspect of their learning, including setting goals, selecting materials and strategy, and assessing outcomes. The tenets of self-reflection, self-direction, and self-evaluation embedded in the portfolio process promote autonomous learning, which is regarded as an important educa-tional goal by EFL teaching professionals (Chan, 2001). The skills of autonomous learning are valuable for EFL learners who are likely to continue language learning after school education. However, academics have raised the question of whether autonomous learning can be applied universally without considering contextual differences (F. Jones, 1995; Pen-nycook, 1997; Schmenk, 2005). They maintain that the autonomy-based pedagogies used in Western culture need to be appropriately contextualized to fit into Asian culture.
Past studies in Asian EFL contexts have indeed found a variety of problems in using portfolios in language learning (Rea, 2001; Kuo, 2003; Yang, 2003; Chen, 2004; Lo, 2007). However, little is known about the problems faced by teachers and students at the different steps of implementing portfolios. Identifying the problems at each step can guide teachers to offer timely help for learners. In addition, little has been done to investigate the power of portfolios to promote autonomous language learning. Thus, this article sets out to depict the challenges for Taiwanese students and teachers involved in a process of developing a reflective portfolio to promote autonomous learning. Understanding the problems can help us explore the pedagogy that can be contextualized for this local setting.
II Literature review
The concept of learner autonomy has been adopted in the field of language learning since the 1970s (Littlewood, 1999). It has been defined as the learner’s ability to take charge of his/her own learning (Holec, 1981). Although highly valued in the USA and Europe, some scholars have argued that the appropriateness of autonomy-based pedago-gies needs to be examined as they are not culture-free (F. Jones, 1995; Pennycook, 1997; Schmenk, 2005). They have maintained that autonomy is essentially an idea from a West-ern culture that values independence, emancipation, and democratic individualism. Learn-ers in countries that value collectivism and have a shorter history of democracy, such as those with Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC), may find the concept difficult to incorpo-rate into their learning (F. Jones, 1995; Chan, 2001). Researchers have argued that auton-omy-based pedagogies should be contextualized in local settings where culture and environment might hamper the acquisition of the skills and knowledge needed for auton-omy development (Ho & Crookall, 1995; Schmenk, 2005), and they call for more research to investigate such pedagogies (Schmenk, 2005).
Ya-Fen Lo 79 Past research in foreign language learning has shown portfolios to be an effective means to integrate pedagogy, learning, and evaluation as well as to promote critical thinking and learner autonomy (Delett, et al., 2001; Banfi, 2003; Yang, 2003; Allen, 2004). Emerging research on portfolio implementation in Asian contexts has reported similar positive effects of portfolios to those in Western research (Chen, 1999, 2004, 2005; Kuo, 2003; Yang, 2003; Ikeda & Takeuchi, 2006). Nevertheless, problems spe-cific to Asian contexts have also been reported. Asian EFL students have perceived the critical reflection required in producing portfolios to be confusing and difficult (Rea, 2001; Kuo, 2003; Chen, 2004; Lo, 2007). Part of the reason may be the lack of individual voice from Asian EFL students accustomed to a structured learning envi-ronment (Harklau, 1994; Atkinson, 1997; Stapleton, 2002). Researchers have also found that Asian EFL students had difficulties in managing time and learning materials, due to their lack of experience in producing portfolios (Kuo, 2003; Yang, 2003). This indicated that Asian EFL students needed training in developing skills of managing their autonomous learning. Asian EFL students were also said to be less aware of the concept of autonomous learning (Yang, 2003; Lo, 2007). They tended to view learn-ing as an end-product rather than a process and did not understand that the process was also a part of learning (Lo, 2007).
Asian contexts might therefore present challenges for teachers attempting to use portfolios to promote autonomous language learning. In CHC culture, students presum-ably submit to teacher authority. Traditionally, teachers dominate the classroom, respon-sible for choosing teaching methods, overseeing student learning and proper behaviour, and evaluating student learning (Chan, 2003). As learner autonomy has been increas-ingly promoted, more teachers are aware of the benefits of shifting their roles from deci-sion-makers to facilitators. However, studies have shown that teachers in Asian contexts seem to face greater challenges (derived from cultural differences and environmental constraints) than their Western counterparts when they try to relinquish power to stu-dents. Teachers in Western contexts might encounter similar challenges, but cultural influences such as an orientation toward collectivism and higher acceptance of power and authority (Littlewood, 1999) pose greater difficulty for teachers in the Asian con-texts. The study environment in Asia, heavily dominated by standardized entrance exam-inations, certainly does not help as it puts greater pressure on both teachers and students. Chen (2004) reported high school teachers in her study in Taiwan struggling to balance performance-based portfolio assessments and traditional standardized tests. Some stu-dents in her study questioned the benefits of portfolios as they did not appear helpful for their performance in standardized tests.
Similarly, Chan (2003) found the pressured study environment in Hong Kong affected teachers’ attitudes toward autonomous learning. The 41 English teachers in her study felt more comfortable making the majority of language learning decisions for their students because it could save time and cost in the particular environment. Interestingly, in her earlier study, Chan (2001) found the 20 Hong Kong students she interviewed held a posi-tive attitude towards autonomous learning approaches and welcomed the opportunity to participate in the learning process. The gap suggested that an examination of the con-straining factors in the environment was needed to understand why the teachers were less motivated to develop learner autonomy (Chan, 2003). Although Chan (2001) found the
Ya-Fen Lo 91 results are not for blanket generalization, as there are great variations among Asian stu-dents, but I am confident that the suggestions raised in this study can be of value for teachers in other Asian contexts. For me, the study provided an opportunity to reflect on my practice in a systematic manner, and to ground my teaching in theory and in research. Furthermore, applying the results to improve my practice was motivating and satisfying. Ultimately, both the students and I benefited.
This study has led me to ponder on more issues related with autonomous learning, critical thinking and peer review. I have again used reflective portfolios for my new Journalistic English course, this time with less grading but much more thinking and investigation. I am sure my students and I will continue to benefit from the understand-ings gained from implementing reflective portfolios.
Acknowledgement
The author is very grateful to Dick Allwright for his insightful comments and valuable guidance on earlier versions of this article.
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Ya-Fen Lo 93
Please answer the following questions by checking your answer in the corresponding box. (You can select more than one answer for questions 3–7)
1. Have you produced any reflective portfolios in your previous English courses?
□
Yes□
No2. Do you read English newspapers regularly?
□
Yes□
No□
Sometimes3. The major reasons that prohibit you from reading English newspapers regularly are:
□
Poor English proficiency□
Lack of ability to solve encountered problems□
Lack of access to English newspapers (including online newspapers)□
Lack of time□
Lack of interest□
No necessity□
Other reasons (please explain) __________________________________ 4. In your opinions, what language skills can be improved by reading Englishnewspapers?
□
Extending vocabulary pool□
Improving reading comprehension□
Improving writing ability□
Improving speaking ability5. What will motivate you to read English newspapers?
□
Extending vocabulary pool□
Improving reading comprehension□
Improving writing ability□
Improving speaking ability□
Increasing knowledge□
Broadening world views□
Understanding different perspectives□
Others (please explain) __________________________________6. What difficulty will bother you most when you read the English newspapers?
□
Do not understand the subject knowledge□
Do not understand the vocabulary/terminology □ Do not know the background information of the article □ Do not understand the idioms and slang□ The sentence structures are too complicated to understand.
□ Others (please explain) ______________________________________
Appendix 1 Pre-course questionnaire
94 Language Teaching Research 14(1)
7. What resources will you use to help you solve the encountered difficulties when you read English newspapers?
□ Use search engines on the Internet to find answers/explanations. □ Check the dictionary (including on-line dictionary)
□ Check data bases available in the school library. □ Check books.
□ Consult with friends. □ Consult with teachers.
□ Other (please explain) ______________________________________
Appendix 1 (Continued)
Appendix 2 Post-course students’ self-evaluation form
A. Please read the following statements and check your answer in the corresponding box. Strongly Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly
agree disagree
1. I became aware of the concept
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□
□
□
□
of autonomous learning
2. I became aware of the process
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□
□
□
□
of autonomous learning
3. I became aware of the
□
□
□
□
□
resources for understanding English news
4. I was able to reflect on the
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□
□
□
□
issues critically
5. I was able to evaluate my
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□
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own portfolio
6. I am able to plan my future
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□
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learning projects
B. Please answer the following questions.
1. What are the benefits of completing this reflective portfolio? 2. In what way can the portfolio projects be improved?
Ya-Fen Lo 95
Write down the date, headline and source of the news article
(copy the article and attach it to the entry form)
Headline:
___________________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________
Source: _________________________________ Problems/difficulties that have not been solved:
What have you learned from reading the article? (Your thoughts and ideas)
