Learner Autonomy

1.8. Autonomous learner

An autonomous learner is someone who can and wants to take charge of their own learning. It means they're actively involved in different parts of their education, like choosing goals, picking learning materials, deciding how to study, keeping track of how they're doing, and checking their results. Autonomous learners do things on their own, showing they can take the lead in learning and exploring what they want to know and learn. They are not solely dependent on external guidance but are capable of making informed decisions and adapting their learning methods to suit their preferences and needs.

However, it would be unrealistic to expect that we would walk into the classroom and such learners would be waiting there. It is a long process of development for these students and even if they start demonstrating some features of autonomy, it can be very unstable, bound to a specific situation yet might not be present in another learning situation. Instead of aiming at reaching a certain level of autonomy with our students, teachers should focus on building a culture of growth mindset (Dweck, 2015) in their classroom. This would allow students to grow in their own way, at their own pace but with a clear understanding they are of charge of this growth and that it is welcome and expected.