Positive Attitude Change

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Positive Attitude Change

• Interactive/Reflective Learner Journals

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Study Aims

• This study encouraged students to investigate
  their perceptions of
• their attitudes to learning,
• their language-learning skills,
• their affect (confidence, motivation, anxiety,
  etc.),
• The aim was
• to promote positive, realistic modification of
  these perceptions, in order to
• help students become more successful learners
  (short term)
• help them become more effective teachers (long
  term).

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The Study Logistics (1)
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The Study Logistics (2)
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Courses and Instruments
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Attitudes and Learning

• Learning is the process of changing behaviour in
  a positive direction. Rogers, C.R. (1951). On
  Becoming a Person. Boston Houghton Mifflin.
• Attitudes to learning and the perceptions and
  beliefs which determine them, have a profound
  influence on learning behaviour. Cotterall, S.
  (1995b). Readiness for autonomy investigating
  learner beliefs. System 23/2, pp. 195-205.

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Mistaken Beliefs

• Mistaken or uninformed beliefs about language
  learning may lead to dependence on less effective
  strategies, resulting in
• indifference toward learning,
• poor cognitive performance,
• classroom anxiety
• a negative attitude to autonomy (Victori
  Lockhart, 1995, p. 225).

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Attitude Gaps

• Beliefs (and attitudes) differing from those of
  the teacher can lead to
• frustration,
• dissatisfaction with the course,
• unwillingness to perform communicative
  activities,
• lack of confidence in the teacher,
• impeded achievement

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Belief Reality

• Bp ?p BBp ?p
• Every learner has a self-schemata of
  self-confirming truths about his/her learning.
• I believe that I am a poor learner
• English is too difficult
• I cannot speak English

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• Teachers therefore need to
• acknowledge and respect students attitudes,
  beliefs, and expectations
• help them overcome any harmful perceptions and
  blocks,
• enhance students awareness of their personal
  weaknesses and strengths and of their
  task/strategic knowledge. (Mantle-Bromley 1995,
  pp.381-383 Peacock, 1998, p. 125).

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Teacher Beliefs and Attitudes

• Not until we have taken a hard critical look at
  the attitudes and motivation of teachers, both
  individually and as a profession, will we be
  ready to determine what obstacles lie in the way
  of creating the kinds of learning environments
  which would be most helpful to our students.
  (Sauvignon, 1976, p. 296)

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The Study Methods

• In view of the ideas examined so far, the study
• set up a non-threatening learning environment
• promoted self-directed group-based participation
• used ongoing, alternative assessment
• used a reflective-interactive journal
• group-based discussion and activities in class
  time
• TEFL-related activities as reflective content
• individual reflection
• teacher feedback twice during the semester