Understanding Learner Agency: A Qualitative Study in a Chinese University English Classroom

Objectives This study aims to explore the underlying personal and contextual factors influencing Chinese English majors’ ability to build and sustain agency in improving their oral English skills during a 16-week speaking course. By adopting an ecological perspective, the research seeks to identify how these factors serve as either resources or constraints to learner agency. Methods The Qualitative case study was conducted during one full semester from March to June 2023. The researchers observed an English speaking course instructed by a Chinese female teacher. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and some related documents. Thematic analysis was used to identify the factors affecting the learners' agency in improving their oral English. Results The findings revealed that (a) the students’ agency in improving their speaking skills was related to their past personal experiences; (b) strong self-efficacy belief is an important factor fostering learner agency in advancing their oral English, but the dominant exam-oriented educational tradition might hamper the oral English learning due to the time needed to prepare for exams; (c) the teachers’ feedback and mutual trust would stimulated students’ agency in enhancing their oral English; (d) learning resources and supportive school policy can contributed to the students' achievement of agency in developing their oral English; and (e) Aspirations involving academic and career goals may influence students' achievement of agency in boosting spoken English proficiency. Conclusions This study demonstrated the complexity of factors affecting learner agency, thereby contributing empirical evidence to the chordal triad of agency from the ecological perspective. Moreover, recommendations are offered on how teachers can develop a more agency-supportive English speaking class.