LANGUAGE LEARNER AUTONOMY: THE BELIEFS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS

Abstract

This study aims at investigating: (1) levels of autonomous learning from three groups of students with different periods of study, (2) EFL students’ beliefs towards learner autonomy and their lecturers’ roles in promoting learner autonomy. The participants of this study were three groups of EFL students at English Department in their second, fourth, and sixth semesters. The data were obtained through questionnaire surveying Autonomous Learning Scale to find out the students’ levels of autonomy and interview to figure out their beliefs about learner autonomy and the roles of lecturers to promote autonomous learning. This study revealed that all group of students were classified as being in the mediate level of autonomy. From the interviews conducted to nine participants representing each group, it was found that to become autonomous, learners need to develop the ability to evaluate their own learning. Moreover, out-of-class activities were believed to enhance learner autonomy since the activities will provide students with self-responsibility to manage the tasks. Last, in terms of the lecturers’ roles in the classroom, most participants perceived that the lecturers still had a dominant role in controlling teaching and learning, particularly in the classroom context. This dominant role eventually led students to become less autonomous circumstances, both inside and outside classrooms.