Abstract
Fostering learner autonomy in language learning has increasingly been seen as important by educational institutions in Japan. Previous studies have shown that metacognitive strategies (MS) are strongly linked to one’s degree of autonomy. Despite its well-known significance, however, there are few empirical studies investigating whether or not autonomy can be developed by enhancing students’ MS use in secondary school settings.
This article examines how students’ MS use and learner autonomy were fostered by adopting a learning-recording tool called a logbook, which enables learners to make learning visible and make reflection easier. In an 11-week logbook intervention, pre- and post-questionnaires related to participants’ MS use and semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed from the dataset of 79 Japanese high school students. The findings revealed that those students who used logbooks on a weekly basis became aware of their increasing use of MS, while the way of logbook use as well as the frequency was important for a higher level of MS use and greater autonomy. Based on these results, pedagogical implications for teachers who seek to utilize this reflective tool are discussed.
