An Investıgatıon Of Students' Approaches To Studyıng And Learnıng Lıterature In Elt Context


Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Turkey

Approval Date: 2016

Thesis Language: English

Student: Gülay Bilgan

Supervisor: SEMRA SARAÇOĞLU

Abstract:

The incentive behind this study was to investigate ELT students' approaches to learning and studying in the context of the study of literature. To this end, relationship between students' approaches to learning and their conceptions of learning as well as the relationship between students' aims and the objectives of the literature courses were sought. A mixed method approach was used in conducting the study. Firstly, ASSIST (18-item) was administered to 166 students who were taking literature oriented courses at Gazi University in 2014-2015 term to determine whether they held a deep, surface or strategic approach to learning literature. Data gathered via ASSIST were analysed using PASW Statistics 18. After the identification of the students' approaches to learning and studying literature, 31 participants were interviewed using semi-structured questions. They were asked questions about their conceptions of learning, their personal aims and perceived aims of the course, and learning orientations. Their responses were analysed using constant comparison technique to look for possible relationships between their approaches to learning and studying and conceptions of learning. Also, possible relationships between students' aims and objectives of the literature courses were scrutinized. Results showed that a majority of the ELT students took a deep approach to learning and studying literature. Furthermore, the surface approach students' conceptions of learning were consistent with the approaches they took. On the other hand, the learning conceptions of deep and strategic approach students were relatively inconsistent with the approaches they held. The results also indicated that students had a good understanding of the objectives stated in the syllabi although a majority of them had personal orientations rather than vocational or academic. It could be drawn from the results that there was a considerable mismatch between the students' aims and objectives of the course.