Approaches Used by ESL Lecturers in Promoting Learner Autonomy in Institute of Teacher Education

Abstract

Autonomous learners are synonymous with successful language learners. Language educators with a repertoire of teaching styles, approaches and strategies would facilitate language learners to become autonomous. The present study aims to explore the approaches used by the ESL lecturers in promoting learner autonomy in teacher training context besides the strategies used for each approach. The participants of the study were 74 ESL lecturers from Institute of Teacher Education (ITE) campuses in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire adapted from Borg and Busaidi (2012) was used for data collection. The analysis revealed that multiple approaches (more than one) were used by these ESL lecturers in promoting learner autonomy. Technology-based ranked the highest, followed by resource-based, learner-based, classroom-based, curriculum-based and the least, teacher-based. The findings also revealed seven main categories from the strategies used among these ESL lecturers where the most commonly used strategy is to incorporate various learning materials and resources. This implied that majority of the ESL lecturers in ITE provided opportunities to their students to become autonomous based on their perspectives of learner autonomy that are manifested through the strategic approaches used in their teaching practices.