AGENCY IN ONLINE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AMIDST THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Year 2022, Volume: 23 Issue: 4, 196 - 211, 01.10.2022

Azkia Muharom Albantanı Ahmad Madkur Imam Fitri Rahmadı

https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.1182781

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak has forced a sudden transition from face-to-face learning
to online learning in higher education. This circumstance challenges university students to be more selfdirected
in learning with relatively minimum assistance from their lecturers or peers. Therefore, it is becoming
increasingly important to conduct a study on the issue of learner agency which remains little explored. The
present study aimed at investigating the agency of first-year university students in online learning of Arabic
as a foreign language. In particular, this study examines their intention, motivation, self-regulation and selfefficacy
in online learning of Arabic delivered synchronously by using Google Meet and asynchronously by
using Edmodo. An exploratory research method was employed in the study with the participation of 76 firstyear
university students at an Islamic public university in Jakarta, Indonesia. Results of the study reveal that
first-year university students have a relatively high intention, motivation, self-regulation and self-efficacy
in Arabic online learning. Looking these findings into more detail, however, the students seem to have
limited information and preparation to achieve their goals, are undermotivated to speak with native Arabic
speakers, have shallow learning commitments, and are less likely to believe their performance. One of the
practical implications that emerge from this study is to introduce first-year university students to a variety
of strategies for learning Arabic in more self-directed ways, and this may be supported by lecturers as to not
only delivering content but also promoting skills during their teaching practices.

Keywords

Learner agency, online learning, distance learning, Arabic as a foreign language.

References

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