A Study on Psychological Characteristics of EFL Learners: Predicting Learners’ Autonomy through Personality Types
Keywords:
autonomy, big-five personality traits, effective learning and teachingAbstract
The present research examined the predictability of learner Autonomy through Big-Five personality traits. The participants under study were 150 EFL students, between 19 - 30 years old, at Islamic Azad University of North Tehran, Iran. In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, two instruments were utilized: The learner Autonomy (AU) questionnaire and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI).The obtained data were analysed through using SPSS software. The results indicated that there is a significant relationship between learners’ autonomy and their personality traits. Besides, running multiple regression through forward method showed that extroversion (R = 32, R2 = .10) was the best predictor of autonomy and conscientiousness (R = .227) showed the least amount of correlation with autonomy. Understanding the relationship between learners’ autonomy and their personality traits contributes to the development of more effective teaching and learning methods.
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