Explorıng The Role Of Strategy Traınıng In Second Language Lıstenıng Comprehensıon In A Blended Learnıng Envıronment
Özet
This thesis aimed to explore the role of strategy training in listening comprehension in a blended learning environment among Turkish primary school level EFL students, to investigate what listening strategies may benefit them in their development of listening comprehension, and to develop awareness on the instruction of listening strategies. This quasi-experimental research was designed with an experimental group for the implementation of listening strategy instruction and a control group. At the onset of the study, pre-test and background questionnaire were conducted to both the experimental and control group students, 34 Turkish EFL primary school students studying in a blended learning environment. Then awareness raising activities towards listening strategy use and listening strategies was applied to the experimental group before the 12-week listening strategy instruction. Experimental group used self-assessment grids to become more autonomous in language learning process, and to focus on the development of listening comprehension. At the end of the instruction process, post-test and semi structured interviews with immediate retrospections were applied to both groups. The findings indicated that the cognitive listening strategies were used with higher frequency compared to the metacognitive strategies at the onset of the instruction process. The participants were satisfied with the success of the treatment, the change in awareness, the increase in self-confidence, and the willingness for the use of listening strategies. It was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in listening performance and listening strategy employment in the onset and at the end of the listening strategy training between both groups.
