Skip to main content

Receptivity and Resistance of Students and Teachers to Learner Agency in Topic and Text Selection

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

This paper reports on a collaborative action research project at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Sousse, Tunisia. As students normally play no role in selection of topics and texts in their “Textual Analysis” course, this can contribute to a passive attitude and limited development of critical skills. Consequently, the team of teachers introduced changes in which students took a leading role in selecting the different topics and worked in groups to find and present texts to class. Evaluation feedback was collected from both students and teachers. The findings showed that the majority of students were receptive to their increased agency in choosing topics and texts, and thought that this enhanced their critical skills, although responses to working in groups were more mixed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    All teachers’ names are pseudonyms.

References

  • Block, D. (2014). Structure, agency, individualization and the critical realist challenge. In P. Deters, X. Gao, E. R. Miller, & G. Vitanova (Eds.), Theorizing and analyzing agency in second language learning: Interdisciplinary approaches (pp. 17–36). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byram, M. (2008). From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (7th ed.). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. (1996). Cultures of learning: Language classrooms in China. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Society and the language classroom (pp. 169–206). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durant, A. (2003). Facts and meanings in British cultural studies. In S. Bassnett (Ed.), Studying British cultures (2nd ed., pp. 20–40). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu, Q. (2010). Variations in beliefs and practices: Teaching English in cross-cultural contexts. Language and Intercultural Communication, 10, 32–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708470903377357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guilherme, M. (2002). Critical citizens for an intercultural world: Foreign language education as cultural politics. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (1994). Appropriate methodology and social context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (1996). Large- and small-class cultures in Egyptian university classrooms: A cultural justification for curriculum change. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Society and the language classroom (pp. 86–103). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (1999). Small cultures. Applied Linguistics, 20, 237–264. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/20.2.237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (2011). Intercultural communication and ideology. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hua, Z. (2016). Identifying research paradigms. In Z. Hua (Ed.), Research methods in intercultural communication: A practical guide (pp. 3–22). Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (1988). The action research planner (3rd ed.). Geelong, VIC: Deakin University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2012). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (7th ed.). New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Little, D. (1995). Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learner autonomy on teacher autonomy. System, 23, 175–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251x(95)00006-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, D. (2007). Language learner autonomy: Some fundamental considerations revisited. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1, 14–29. https://doi.org/10.2167/illt040.0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, J. (2011). Materials for developing intercultural competence in British studies courses at Tunisian universities (Doctoral dissertation). Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J. (2006). All you need to know about action research. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, S. (2011). Understanding learner agency as a complex dynamic system. System, 39, 427–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2011.08.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, M. (1999). What is British cultural studies anyway and why are people saying such terrible things about it? In N. Wadham-Smith (Ed.), British studies now: Anthology issues 6-10 (pp. 9–17). London: The British Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, L. S. (2009). Action research in teaching and learning: A practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reason, P., & Bradbury, H. (2008). Introduction. In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of action research: Participative enquiry and practice (pp. 1–10). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Shamim, F. (1996). Learner resistance to innovation in classroom methodology. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Society and the language classroom (pp. 86–103). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stringer, E. T. (2007). Action research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitanova, G., Miller, E. R., Gao, X., & Deters, P. (2014). Introduction to theorizing and analyzing agency in second language learning: Interdisciplinary approaches. In P. Deters, X. Gao, E. R. Miller, & G. Vitanova (Eds.), Theorizing and analyzing agency in second language learning: Interdisciplinary approaches (pp. 1–16). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, M. J. (1998). Action research for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix B

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mason, J., Ben Ammar, Y., Romdhane, S., Tarash, S. (2019). Receptivity and Resistance of Students and Teachers to Learner Agency in Topic and Text Selection. In: Hidri, S. (eds) English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98533-6_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98533-6_24

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98532-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98533-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics