Exploring students’ beliefs about web-based collaborative learning and their practices: a qualitative case study of university English-as-a-foreign-language readers

This semester-long qualitative case study investigated the beliefs and practices of 20 university English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) readers engaged in web-based collaborative learning. Data included interviews, field notes, and student reflections. Results showed that students' initially mixed beliefs about web-based collaborative learning (regarding platforms and reading activities) evolved to become stably positive over time. This change was linked to the interaction between their beliefs about platforms and reading activities, influenced by prior and ongoing learning experiences. Students' practices were primarily driven by positive beliefs but constrained by negative ones, with additional factors from their learning process intervening. The implications for engaging students in web-based learning are discussed.

Xiaodong Zhang