چکیده:
The major role of self-directed learning (SDL) in a successful learning at distance education has been confirmed by various studies. Although learners pass General English courses before studying any ESP courses at distance education of Iran, they usually lack the preliminary skills for independent language learning. The current study aimed to explore the effect of self-directed training (SDT) on ESP learners‟ self-directed learning readiness (SDLR). Eighty-six B.A students (19 male and 67 female) studying English for Economy and Management at Tabriz Payam-e-Noor University participated in this study. A demographic questionnaire and Guglielmino‟s (1978) self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) were implemented to select the participants of the control and experimental groups. The experimental group was provided with SDT in three different stages a) an introduction to SDL, b) SDT workshop, and c) SDT pamphlet. Then, a post-test of SDLRS was given to the two groups. ANCOVA was applied to analyze the data. The results revealed that SDT could enhance ESP learners‟ SDLR. The findings imply that an appropriate training is needed to improve learners‟ SDLR. Higher levels of SDLR can contribute to a successful ESP learning at Payam-e-Noor University in Iran.
خلاصه ماشینی:
com Abstract The major role of self-directed learning (SDL) in a successful learning at distance education has been confirmed by various studies.
Although learners pass General English courses before studying any ESP courses at distance education of Iran, they usually lack the preliminary skills for independent language learning.
The current study aimed to explore the effect of self-directed training (SDT) on ESP learners‟ self-directed learning readiness (SDLR).
A demographic questionnaire and Guglielmino‟s (1978) self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) were implemented to select the participants of the control and experimental groups.
Hiemstra (1994) believes that SDL is any study in which an individual learner takes the responsibility to plan, implement, and evaluate his own learning process.
This brings about a new kind of training named „Learner Training‟ which focuses on explicit teaching of techniques and procedures of learning a language and appreciation of strategies and their appropriate use to be a self-directed learner (Williams Burden, 1997).
Gibbons, Baily, Comeau, Schmuck, Seymour and Wallace (1980) focus on the active role of learners in engaging at challenging activities rather than passive and abstract-theoretical activities.
Table 1 Participants in the Two Groups Gender Male Female Total Groups Control 13 30 43 Experimental 6 37 43 Total 19 67 86 Instruments For data collection, a demographic questionnaire was prepared to elicit general information from students including name, age, gender, major, general English score, language learning experiences, etc.
This difference can be traced back to implementing SDT to experimental group during studying ESEM course at Tabriz Payam-e-Noor University.