Development and implementation of the learning autonomy scale in teaching Turkish as a foreign language

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop learner autonomy scale in teaching Turkish as a foreign language and to analyze learner autonomy in terms of some variables. In this study, these dimensions were taken as the basis for scale development and examined in detail. We wanted to analyze the relationship between learner autonomy and gender, place of residence, desire to learn a language other than Turkish, purpose of learning Turkish, employment status, education level and academic field variables. Survey design methodology was used for this study. The universe of the study consisted of people who learned Turkish as a foreign language in Turkish Education Application and Research Centers (TÖMER) in Turkey and abroad and 370 people from 55 countries voluntarily participated in the study. Within the scope of the study, the "Learner Autonomy Scale for Learners of Turkish as a Foreign Language", consisting of 6 factors and 25 items with necessary psychometric properties such as validity and reliability, was developed. According to the findings obtained with the application of the scale, it was seen that female participants had higher self-efficacy in the attitude factor towards foreign language learning than male participants. It was determined that among the participants, those who use foreign language learning strategies are more willing to learn a foreign language other than Turkish, compared to those who do not. In addition, it was seen that the participants who wanted to learn another foreign language other than Turkish had lower foreign language learning anxiety.