Exploring Autonomous and Self-Regulated Vocabulary Learning of the Late Semester Students in University of Islam Malang

Abstract

The importance of learning vocabulary and the limitation of classroom based vocabulary learning to cover large amount of vocabulary, implies the necessity of learning vocabulary independently and regulate their learning effectively. This study aims to identify the learners’ autonomy and self-regulation strategies in learning vocabulary as well as the benefits and difficulties of autonomous vocabulary learning. This study implements descriptive qualitative research design with questionnaire as instrument to collect the data. The researcher collect the data taken from 21 late-semester students in University of Islam Malang to gather 10 samples of independent vocabulary learners as respondents. In the data analysis, this study use Miles and Huberman’s (1994) method of qualitative analysis that encompasses data elimination, classification, display, conclusion and verification. The result shows that all students learn vocabulary independently on their own volitions without others’ direction. However, only four students properly self-regulate their independent learning, the other respondents considered ineffective in self-regulation. In the identification of independent learning benefits and difficulties, the researcher found seven benefits and five problems. The research concludes from the data that from 21 students, 10 students are independent learners and only 4 out of 10 students considered as self-regulated learners. The most beneficial factors of independent vocabulary learning allowing the learners to learn more vocabulary and have more time to memorize, followed by better flexibility in time and preference , retention and less pressure. Meanwhile most of the problems encountered by the students in this study aside from difficult words signify similar difficulties of other independent learning such as inconsistency, lacks of motivation, being too busy and lack of practice.