Learning Autonomy

The learners must be self directed and self motivated in their own learning strategies. This phase or stage can be referred to as learner autonomy. It is a situation in which a learner is totally responsible for all the decisions concerned with his/her learning and the implementation of those decisions. A good learner must have good understanding on what they are learning. They must have keen interest in reading and understand the matters so as to become autonomous learner. The practice of being self directed towards learning promotes learner autonomy and will certainly enable learners to achieve better learning achievements. So, learner autonomy is more concerned with learner strategies, responsibilities and willingness than with teacher resources, notes and explanations. This does not refer to reduce role of teacher; it rather makes the learner better active themselves so that they can get better resources from the teacher for their learning.

Autonomous learners are:

·         Motivated and enthusiastic

·         Confident in his/her ability to learn

·         Aware of why he/she wants to learn

·         Self-reliant

·         Unafraid of making mistakes

·         Good risk taker

·         Willing to assume certain responsibility of his/her own learning

Role of teacher for developing autonomy in Learner:

The present condition of Nepal clearly shows that most of the teaching learning classrooms are learner friendly as in the name. The teachers are still present following ‘Jug to Mug’ theory in classroom. Existing teaching learning process still is beyond learners’ psychology, interest, capacity, talent, etc. If we teachers really want out learners to learn something for their real development, we must encourage the learners towards automaticity. There is no any alternative: for this a teacher can-

·         Drive the attention of learner towards learning

·         Identify the learner’s difference

·         Use technologies and multimedia to develop and promote learning

·         Encourage learners to explore something new themselves

·         Access the learners to different resource materials

·         Play the role of facilitator

Role of School:

To explore students inner or hidden capacity it is needed to make learner autonomous. Providing books, large classroom, comfortable furniture is not sufficient for learners but making available following things the school can co-operate the autonomous learner.

·         Comfortable library

·         Self learning centre

·         Science lab

·         Practical classes and required tools for practical, etc.

Role of parents:

To develop self-determination and self-monitoring capacities in learner is the state of learner autonomy. To be an autonomous learner, the learner alone can’t do anything if the necessary things are not provided to him/her. Providing favourable atmosphere for learning is the responsibility of teacher, school and parents. Parents can help:

·         Creating learning environment at home

·         Trying to solve his/her problems

·         Providing necessary things for his/her study

·         Consulting with teachers time to time

Learning is life long process. It starts from cradle and ends in grave. Anything which we learn ends within short time or becomes life-long depends upon the learning process. If the learner is self-motivated, enthusiastic, aware to learn, the learner doesn’t forget easily, he doesn’t irritate from learning and doesn’t take learning as a burden instead if it is provided forcefully against learners interest as teacher’s method or strategy, unwilling the learner can’t easily, it may be forgotten easily then the whole teaching learning will be failure.

So, every school should create favourable environment to promote learning autonomy.