This questionnaire study examined the beliefs, practices and constraints related to learner autonomy reported by 359 teachers (mainly expatriate) working on an English Preparatory Year Programme (PYP) at a university in Saudi Arabia. The teachers associated learner autonomy primarily with notions of independence and control and saw it as the ability and motivation to complete tasks, individually and/or collaboratively, in and/or outside the classroom, and with no/little teacher involvement. They believed that promoting learner autonomy was a desirable goal and described how they tried to achieve this goal in their teaching. Most were, however, less positive about the feasibility of promoting learner autonomy and explained this in relation to curricular, societal and, above all, learner factors (such as lack of motivation and independence and low proficiency in English). In discussing these findings, several avenues for further research are identified and through which teachers’ conceptualizations of learner autonomy can be understood using mixed methods research and with reference to a range of socio-cultural, intercultural, professional, occupational and institutional forces.
Al-BusaidiS.S.Al-MaamariF.S. (2014). Exploring university teachers’ understanding of learner autonomy. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4, 2051–2060.
2.
Al-ShaqsiT.S. (2009). Teachers’ beliefs about learner autonomy. In: BorgS. (Ed), Researching English language teaching and teacher development in Oman (pp. 157–165). Ministry of Education: Muscat.
3.
Al-SharqiL.M.HashimK.AhmedP.S. (2015). Improving the learning environment at a university in Saudi arabia: Identifying factors that impede or motivate learningInternational Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 19, 234–249.
4.
Al AsmariA.R. (2013). Practices and prospects of learner autonomy: Teachers’ perceptions. English Language Teaching, 6, 1–11.
5.
AloqailiA.S. (2014). The preparatory year: Global perspectives and local practices. The Saudi Journal of Higher Education, 11, 45–64.
6.
BalçıkanlıC. (2010). Learner autonomy in language learning: Student teachers’ beliefs. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35, 90–103.
7.
BarfieldA.BrownS. (Eds.). (2007). Reconstructing autonomy in language education: Inquiry and innovation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
8.
BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.). (2016). Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts. Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
9.
BensonP. (1997). The philosophy and politics of learner autonomy. In: BensonP.VollerP. (Eds.), Autonomy and independence in language learning (pp. 18–34). London: Longman.
10.
BensonP. (2013). Teaching and researching: Autonomy in language learning. 2nd edition.London: Routledge.
11.
BensonP.ReindersH. (2011). Beyond the language classroom. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
12.
BERA. (2011). Revised ethical guidelines for educational research. Southwell: BERA.
13.
BorgS. (2015). Researching teacher beliefs. In: PaltridgeB.PhakitiA. (Eds.), Research methods in applied linguistics: A practical resource (pp. 487–504). London: Bloomsbury.
14.
BorgS. (2018). Teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices. In: GarrettP.CotsJ. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of language awareness. London: Routledge, pp. 75–91.
15.
BorgS.Al-BusaidiS. (2012). Learner autonomy: English language teachers’ beliefs and practices. London: The British Council.
16.
BorgS.AlshumaimeriY. (2012). University teacher educators’ research engagement: Perspectives from Saudi arabia. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28, 347–356.
BraunV.ClarkeV. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.
19.
CamilleriG. (Ed.). (1999). Learner autonomy: The teachers’ views. Graz: ECML.
20.
Camilleri GrimaA. (2007). Pedagogy for autonomy, teachers’ attitudes and institutional change: A case study. In: Jimenez RayaM.SercuL. (Eds.), Challenges in teacher development: Learner autonomy and intercultural competence (pp. 81–102). Frankurt: Peter Lang.
21.
CanrinusE.T.Helms-LorenzM.BeijaardD.BuitinkJ.HofmanA. (2011). Profiling teachers’ sense of professional identity. Educational Studies, 37, 593–608.
22.
ChanV. (2003). Autonomous language learning: The teachers’ perspectives. Teaching in Higher Education, 8, 33–54.
23.
CohenL.ManionL.MorrisonK. (2011). Research methods in education. 7th edition.London: Routledge.
24.
CoolicanH. (2009). Research methods and statistics in psychology. 5th edition.London: Hodder Education.
DamL.LegenhausenL. (2011). Explicit reflection, evaluation, and assessment in the autonomy classroom. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 5, 177–189.
27.
DörnyeiZ.TaguchiT. (2010). Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration and processing. 2nd edition.New York: Routledge.
28.
DuongT.M. (2014). EFL teachers’ perceptions of learner autonomy and their classroom practices: A case study. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 4, 9–17.
29.
DuongT.M.SeephoS. (2014). Promoting learner autonomy: A qualitative study on EFL teachers’ perceptions and their teaching practices. Proceedings of the international conference DRAL 2 / ILA2014, pp. 129–137. Available at: http://sola.kmutt.ac.th/dral2014/proceedings_online/129-137%20ILA%20Tham%20M.pdf (accessed August 2017).
30.
EverhardC.J.MurphyL. (Eds.). (2015). Assessment and autonomy in language learning. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
31.
GrossR. (2015). Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour. 7th edition.London: Hodder Education.
32.
Haji-OthmanN.A.WoodK. (2016). Perceptions of learner autonomy in English language education in Brunei darussalam. In: BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 79–95). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
33.
HanL. (2014). Teacher’s role in developing learner autonomy: A literature review. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 1, 1–27.
34.
HolecH. (1981). Autonomy in foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon.
35.
HolecH. (2008). Foreword. In: LambT.E.ReindersH. (Eds.), Learner and teacher autonomy: Concepts, realities, and responses (pp. 3–4). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
36.
HollidayA. (2003). Social autonomy: Addressing the dangers of culturism in TESOL. In: PalfreymanD.SmithR.C. (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives (pp. 101–126). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
37.
HosR.KekecM. (2014). The mismatch between non-native English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ grammar beliefs and classroom practices. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5, 80–87.
38.
JeonM. (2009). Globalization and native English speakers in English programme in korea (epik). Language, Culture and Curriculum, 22, 231–243.
39.
KabouhaR.ElyasT. (2015). Aligning teaching and assessment to course objectives: The case of preparatory year english program at king abdulaziz university. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 4, 82–91.
40.
KarimiM.N.AbdullahiK.Khales HaghighiJ. (2016). English as a foreign language teachers’ self-efficacy as a determinant of correspondence between their professed orientations toward reading and their reading instructional practices. Innovation In Language Learning And Teaching, 10, 155–170.
41.
KeukC.N.HengV. (2016). Cambodian ELT teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding language learner autonomy. In: BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 62–78). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
42.
KubanyiovaM.FeryokA. (2015). Language teacher cognition in applied linguistics research: Revisiting the territory, redrawing the boundaries, reclaiming the relevance. Modern Language Journal, 99, 435–449.
43.
Larsen-FreemanD. (2015). Research into practice: Grammar learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 48, 263–280.
44.
LeeI. (2009). Ten mismatches between teachers’ beliefs and written feedback practice. ELT Journal, 63, 13–22.
45.
LengkanawatiN.S. (2016). Teachers’ beliefs about learner autonomy and its implementation in Indonesian EFL settings. In: BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 134–149). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
46.
LittleD. (1995). Learning as dialogue: The dependence of learner autonomy on teacher autonomy. System, 23, 175–181.
47.
MartinezH. (2008). The subjective theories of student teachers: Implications for teacher education and research on learner autonomy. In: LambT.E.ReindersH. (Eds.), Learner and teacher autonomy: Concepts, realities, and responses (pp. 103–124). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
48.
MuijsD.KyriakidesL.van der WerfG.CreemersB.TimperleyH.EarlL. (2014). State of the art: Teacher effectiveness and professional learning. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 25, 231–256.
49.
NakataY. (2011). Teachers’ readiness for promoting learner autonomy: A study of Japanese EFL high school teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 900–910.
50.
NguyenV.L. (2016). Learner autonomy in Vietnam: Insights from English language teachers’ beliefs and practices. In: BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 1–22). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
51.
OxfordR.L. (2003). Toward a more systematic model of L2 learner autonomy. In: PalfreymanD.SmithR. C. (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives (pp. 75–91). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
52.
OxfordR.L. (2015). Expanded perspectives on autonomous learners. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 9, 58–71.
53.
PalfreymanD. (2003). Introduction: Culture and learner autonomy. In: PalfreymanD.SmithR.C. (Eds.), Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives (pp. 1–19). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
54.
PalfreymanD.SmithR.C. (Eds.). (2003). Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
55.
PhippsS.BorgS. (2009). Exploring tensions between teachers’ grammar teaching beliefs and practices. System, 37, 380–390.
56.
Ranosa-MadrunioM.TarrayoV.N.TupasR.ValdezP.N. (2016). Learner autonomy: English language teachers’ beliefs and practices in the Philippines. In: BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 114–133). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
57.
ReindersH.LazaroN. (2011). Beliefs, identity and motivation in implementing autonomy: The teachers’ perspective. In: MurrayG.GaoX.LambT. (Eds.), Identity, motivation, and autonomy in language learning (pp. 125–142). Bristol: Multilingual Matters
58.
SekerM. (2016). The use of self-regulation strategies by foreign language learners and its role in language achievement. Language Teaching Research, 20, 600–618.
59.
SinclairB. (2000). Learner autonomy: The next phase? In: SinclairB.McGrathI.LambT. (Eds.), Learner autonomy, teacher autonomy: Future directions (pp. 4–14). Harlow: Longman.
60.
SkottJ. (2014). The promises, problems and prospects of research on teachers’ beliefs. In: FivesH.GillM.G. (Eds.), International handbook of research on teachers’ beliefs (pp. 13–30). London: Routledge.
61.
SockettG. (2014). The online informal learning of English. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
62.
SpringsteenS.M. (2014). Examining student motivation in Saudi arabia. MA TESOL dissertation, SIT Graduate Institute, Brattleboro, VT, USA.
63.
StroupeR.RundleC.TomitaK. (2016). Developing autonomous learners in Japan: Working with teachers through professional development. In BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 43–61). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
64.
SyedZ. (2003). The sociocultural context of English language teaching in the gulf. TESOL Quarterly, 37, 337–341.
65.
TapintaP. (2016). Thai teachers’ beliefs in developing learner autonomy: L2 education in Thai universities. In BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 96–113). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
66.
WangY.WangM. (2016). Developing learner autonomy: Chinese university EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices. In BarnardR.LiJ. (Eds.), Language learner autonomy: Teachers’ beliefs and practices in Asian contexts (pp. 23–42). Phnom Penh: IDP Education.
67.
WichayathianN.ReindersH. (2015). A teacher’s perspective on autonomy and self-access: From theory to perception to practice. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. Electronic publication ahead of print version. Published online: 12November2015 (doi: 10.1080/17501229.2015.1103245).
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
