VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Abstract:

Project-Based Learning (PBL) has become increasingly popular in EFL education due to its potential to promote active learning, collaboration, and learner-centered practices (Thomas, 2000; Bell, 2010). At the same time, learner agency has emerged as an important educational goal, as it enables students to take an active role in shaping their learning experiences (van Lier, 2008; Mercer, 2012). This study explores how collaborative PBL practices influence learner agency among university EFL students, focusing on both enabling and constraining factors. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, survey questionnaires, reflection journals, and project documents. The findings indicate that collaborative PBL supports learner agency by creating opportunities for shared decision-making, peer support, collaborative problem-solving, and greater ownership of learning, which are consistent with sociocultural views of learning as mediated through interaction and participation (Vygotsky, 1978; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006). However, the results also reveal several challenges, including unequal participation, free-riding behaviors, dominance by certain group members, and assessment-related pressures, which may limit students’ opportunities to exercise voice, choice, and autonomy. The study suggests that learner agency is not an automatic outcome of project-based learning but is shaped by the ways collaborative practices are organized and experienced (Biesta & Tedder, 2007). Therefore, careful attention should be given to promoting equitable participation, shared responsibility, and meaningful decision-making opportunities in collaborative PBL environments to maximize students’ agentic engagement.

Keywords: learner agency; Project-Based Learning; collaboration; EFL students; higher education.