An Action Research On Developing The English Autonomous Learning Ability Of Senior High School Students

Since 1990s, developing the students'autonomous learning ability has become an key point in different countries around the world. Researching on autonomous learning theory and its application has become unique flourishing. In China, the revolution of elementary course emphasizes the changing of learning. In a long time, teachers and students seek for the proportion of entering the university, so students'autonomous learning ability has been ignored. And different sides of autonomous learning ability are not balanced. So it is a very important task to develop the students'autonomous learning ability.This essay is based on an action research on how to develop the students'autonomous learning ability. It aims to find out whether training of meta-cognitive strategies works or not and at the same time, to establish a pattern which suits the students of high school to foster them into autonomous learner.In this action research, 33 high school students are chosen to have the training of meta-cognitive strategies .It lasts for two terms. The researching tools include two questionnaires. The questionnaires are distributed twice: at the beginning of the research and in the end of the research. There is an assessment of autonomous learning ability, too.We draw a conclusion that the students'meta-cognitive level is low from the first investigation. To solve this problem, an action research has been done on the students. In the research, students have a lecture of learning strategies. They make studying plans of English for themselves. Every day, they fill in a time table about English learning. Every week, they fill in a self-assessment form. In this way, the students will learn about meta-cognitive strategies and control their learning so that their autonomous learning ability will be developed. After two terms'researching, a second investigation is made by using the same questionnaire. The result shows that the students'meta-cognitive level has been improved, the using of their meta-cognitive strategies has also been improved, so their autonomous learning ability has been improved as well.The result of this action research has proved that it is possible to develop the students'autonomous learning ability by training them to use meta-cognitive strategies. The students have changed their belief of studying and they can learn something independently. However, a further research on developing the students'autonomous learning ability should be made in the future, a more efficient training pattern should be established.