Articles

The Relationship between Teacher Support and First-Year EFL Students’ Attitudes toward Autonomous Learning: Evidence from a Vietnamese University

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Learner autonomy is widely regarded as a central goal of foreign language education, yet first-year students in Vietnamese higher education frequently enter university with strong habits of teacher dependency formed during exam-oriented secondary schooling. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this article examined the relationship between perceived teacher support and attitudes toward autonomous learning among first-year English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH). Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 202 first-year students through a questionnaire measuring three dimensions of attitude (cognitive, affective, behavioral) and three dimensions of teacher support (autonomy support, structure, involvement), followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. Results indicated that students held moderately positive attitudes toward autonomous learning and perceived moderate levels of teacher support, with a strong, statistically significant positive correlation between the two constructs (r = .766, p < .001). Teacher support correlated most strongly with behavioral attitudes (r = .598), followed by affective (r = .565) and cognitive attitudes (r = .546). Qualitative findings converged with the quantitative results, showing that students associated supportive teaching with guided self-discovery rather than direct answers, while consistently identifying the need for more explicit instruction in learning strategies. The findings suggest that teacher support and learner autonomy are complementary rather than opposing forces, and that first-year EFL programs would benefit from embedding explicit strategy instruction within teacher-supportive pedagogy. Implications for EFL pedagogy, teacher training, and future research in non-English-major contexts are discussed.

Speaking Skills Development in Indonesian Senior High School: A Mixed Methods Needs Analysis of Student Preferences, Challenges, and Teacher Support

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Despite widespread recognition of speaking proficiency as central to English language learning, senior high school students in Indonesia continue to exhibit significant difficulties in oral communication, and the specific preferences, challenges, and support needs driving these difficulties remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates two interrelated questions: (1) what types of learning activities do students prefer to enhance their speaking skills, and (2) what challenges do students encounter in learning English speaking skills, and what teacher support do they identify as most beneficial? A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative data from a 25-item Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 15 students across five needs analysis dimensions Target Situation Analysis (TSA), Present Situation Analysis (PSA), Learning Needs (LN), Learners’ Wants (LW), and Learning Preferences (LP) with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted with five purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics; qualitative data underwent systematic thematic analysis following Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s (2020) interactive model. Findings revealed that students demonstrated Very High awareness of speaking importance (TSA M = 4.78) while simultaneously recognising significant deficiencies in current proficiency (PSA M = 3.83), particularly vocabulary limitations (M = 4.00) and difficulty expressing ideas fluently (M = 3.93). Students articulated strong learning needs (LN M = 4.41), prioritising frequent oral practice (M = 4.53), immediate constructive feedback (M = 4.40), and teacher modelling. Qualitative analysis identified six themes: linguistic challenges, affective barriers, peer influence, classroom contextual factors, out-of-class environmental factors, and desired teacher support. The consistent convergence of quantitative and qualitative strands strengthens the validity of the findings and generates evidence-based implications for speaking instruction design, teacher professional development, and curriculum policy in Indonesian EFL contexts.​

Do Online Grammar Learning Strategies Make Any Difference in Grammar Proficiency? A Focus on EFL Distance Learning

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This study explores the use of online grammar learning strategies among Indonesian EFL students participating in Open and Distance Learning (ODL). Using quantitative methods, the research examines the correlation between students’ self-reported grammar learning strategies and their English grammar proficiency. Data were collected from students enrolled in online grammar courses at the University of Borneo Tarakan, utilizing both surveys and online grammar tests. The results reveal a complex relationship between learning strategies and grammar proficiency. Cognitive strategies demonstrate a positive correlation with proficiency, while other strategies, such as memory, compensation, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies, exhibit mixed or weak predictive capabilities. The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of grammar learning, suggesting that no single strategy guarantees improved proficiency. The study stresses the importance of tailoring language learning approaches to individual learner traits and contextual factors in ODL environments. Limitations of the study include the specific sample population, reliance on self-reported data, and the correlational nature of the research, which calls for careful interpretation. Overall, the research provides valuable insights into optimizing grammar instruction in online settings, emphasizing the need for further investigation into effective grammar learning strategies in ODL contexts.