The influences of group processes on learners’ autonomous beliefs and behaviors

This study explores how group processes, such as group cohesiveness and group norms, influence an individual EFL learner’s autonomy – their autonomous beliefs and actual autonomous behaviors. Questionnaires were administered to 152 Taiwanese university students from the English Department of a National Science and Technology University in southern Taiwan. The results from the questionnaires show that there is no correlation between group processes (group cohesiveness and group norms) and students’ autonomous beliefs; however, there is indeed a correlation between group factors and students’ autonomous behaviors. A dozen students from the 152 participants in this study were asked to give further information during an in-depth interview. During those interviews, several students commented that their classmates within the learner group are indeed important to their learning, as being around autonomous, motivated classmates positively influences their own autonomy.