Beliefs about Language Learning: Current Knowledge, Pedagogical Implications, and New Research Directions

Beliefs about Language Learning: Current Knowledge, Pedagogical Implications, and New Research Directions

Eva Bernat
Inna Gvozdenko
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:fHLyQDpPCUsJ:tesl-ej.org/ej33/a1.html+BALLI+likert+scale&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=nz

This article is a good review of research methodology used in the study of learners’ beliefs about language learning (also applicable to teachers' belief, of course!) At first I couldn't get my head around when Professor White asked me to read about learners’ beliefs when I have nothing to do anymore about the students’ beliefs in my research. Now I know that we can look at how researchers conduct their study by using different types of instruments to retrieve learners’ attitudes, cognitions, and perceptions. Here is the part that I found worth reading.

--- In the past decades, language learning beliefs have been investigated within various research paradigms (see Barcelos (2003) for a review. A typical research strategy involves completing an inventory of different belief statements, to which learners indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement (Horwitz, 1987). Another popular strategy employs interviews and focus group discussions (Wenden, 1986b, 1987). Kalaja (2003) refers to these approaches as "mainstream" and "alternative." Barcelos, (2000, 2003), on the other hand, distinguishes three main approaches: nominative, metacognitive and contextual.
(Professor White used phenomenography approach in her 1999 study which I think is considered a kind of metacognitive and contextual approach.)

The Normative Approach (BALLI -- a very popular tool for investigating attitudes and beliefs)

The normative approach is characterized by the use of Likert-scale questionnaires in the investigation of learner beliefs (Yes --I'm using the normative approach!!) . Horwitz (1985, 1987) is generally credited with initiating significant research into beliefs with the development of the BALLI--Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory. Horwitz (1985, 1987) used this 34-item questionnaire to explore students', teachers', and pre-service teachers' beliefs. Due to its high popularity, BALLI was consequently used in a number of small and large-scale research studies (see Horwitz (1999) for a review of BALLI studies).

The Metacognitive Approach

A number of research studies on language learner beliefs adopted the metacognitive approach in their inquiries (e.g., Goh, 1997; White, 1999, 1999a). Wenden (1986a, 1986b, 1998, 1999, 2001). They usually employ semi-structured interviews and self-reports to collect data. Using these methods, the students were able to both observe their cognitive processes as well as articulate their beliefs about learning to listen in English. One of the strengths of this research is that learners become aware of their learning styles, strategies and beliefs that could lead them to improve their own learning processes in other contexts.

The Contextual Approach

A number of research studies have employed the contextual approach to explore language learning beliefs (Allen, 1996). In this approach, beliefs are viewed as embedded in students' contexts. Research studies within the contextual approach are qualitative in nature and contribute to an interpretive paradigm. The contextual approach uses ethnography, narratives, and metaphors (Kramsch, 2003). A feature of the studies within this approach is that they are not only diverse in the theoretical frameworks they employ, for example, phenomenographical (Benson & Lor, 1999; White, 1999), neo-Vygotskian socio-cultural (Alanen, 2003), Bakhtinian (Dufva, 2003), Deweyan (Barcelos, 2000), but also vary in methods of data collection that include case studies, ethnographic classroom observations, informal discussions and stimulated recalls (Allen, 1996; Barcelos, 2000,) diaries (Hosenfeld, 2003), discourse analysis (Kalaja, 2003), naturalistic interviews, ranking exercises, scenarios and yoked subject procedures (White, 1999).

I got it...